Unhinged
by Raven and Writing Desks
Summary: Clans throughout the shinobi nations are being slaughtered left and right. When Sasuke and his team go to put a stop to this mysterious murderer, they encounter the first survivor of the massacres, a mysterious pink haired girl with an unusual tattoo. Set in the Naruto world, but AUish. Sasusaku.
1. First Blood

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto :(

**Unhinged**

Blood, death, screams.

These three elements fill the compound. A possessor of onyx eyes walks in-between the buildings unaffected by any of it. A katana, splattered with red, clutched in hand.

A young boy with black hair stands in front of the murderer.

The words "last target" flash within the mind of the weapon wielder.

"What happened to everybody? My mother, my father; they're not waking up." The boy says fighting back tears. His eyes shift to the offending weapon and realization flashes over his face. "You? Y-you did this? Wh-why?" He's voice trembles and moisture starts rolling down his cheeks. "I thought you were family..."

With an impassive face, the reaper of death walks towards the child and raises the sharp katana.

"No!" The child screams. "Please don't kill me! Please! I don't want to die! Mother! Father! Somebody! I don't want to-"

The boy is silenced with one stroke of the bloodstained sword.

* * *

_Sasuke_

Movement flickers behind eyelids.

_Sasuke_

Clarity surfaces as sleep exits his mind.

"Sasuke!"

The eyelids snap open revealing iris so dark that they blend in with the pupils.

Blonde hair tickles his face. "I'm awake," Sasuke shuffles as if to sit up but small hands remain on his chest. "You can move now, Ino."

The girl slowly moves her hands. "It's time to go, we're only a three hour run away from the village."

Sasuke packs away his sleeping mat and secures his katana around his waist in 30 seconds flat.

"Oi, Teme, how do you pack up so fast?" Naruto whines while he rolls up his own sleeping mat.

"Because I'm not a dobe." Sasuke replies without missing a beat.

"Team 7 huddle up." Kakashi says standing in the middle of the three Jounin.

"Do we really still need to huddle? I mean, we're not twelve anymore." Naruto complains.

"We're not even Team 7 anymore." Sasuke adds.

"Come on guys, it's just like our Genin days. We barely ever get to go on missions with all of us together again." Ino says, trying to convince her teammates to reminisce with her.

"Whatever," Sasuke states coolly. He remembers when they were first assigned to the same team. Ino was beyond thrilled – she even started doing a little victory dance. He and Naruto would constantly argue all the while their only female teammate would be ogling at Sasuke. Since then she's matured and moved on. Unfortunately, her affections have shifted to Sasuke's older brother, Itachi.

_Sasuke! Can we train at the Uchiha compound today? I want Itachi to see how strong I've gotten… Sasuke! Sorry for dropping by so late, but here's that kunai that I borrowed on that one mission. Now that I'm here could you maybe show me Itachi's room? ... Wow, your brother is such a good ANBU, I can't believe he took down that Akatsuki member single handily._

The list of her irritating, not so subtle, passes was exasperatingly long. She just didn't get the fact that Itachi was an emotionless bastard.

"Now, we're only about three hours away from Rock." Kakashi's voice causes Sasuke to redirect his thoughts to the mission. "I can't stress the danger of this mission enough. As the Hokage said, we need to treat this mission with the upmost care."

Sasuke thinks back to the mission briefing with the Hokage that took place the day before.

"_We don't know much about this new enemy, just that they currently have a thirst for prestigious blood that they have yet to satisfy." Hokage Tsunade says as she sits behind the large desk. Sasuke stands in front of it along with Naruto, Ino, and Kakashi. "Usually I wouldn't be sending all of you, but this enemy has proven to be a major threat to clans everywhere." Tsunade eyes Sasuke as she says this. "Besides, you guys work the best as a team. _

"_Multiple clans in other nations have already been wiped out and it appears that they are making their way here. The best thing for us, as a nation, to do is send forces now, before the "clan-killers" can get close. I presume that their next target is in Rock; A clan by the name of Fuyu. Their compound is about 20 miles away from the nearest village, making them an easy target. They are a medium sized clan, consisting of 15 members, however judging by their past victims, it will take no time at all for the assassins to take this family out." _

_Tsunade looks at the four ninja very seriously. "I can't emphasize this enough. These enemies are extremely dangerous, S-ranked. I'd be sending our best ANBU if I could afford to, but there are none available. So far what we can tell of the enemy is that it takes them very little time to kill. They murdered thirty people in a little more than an hour. This was the Shimizu clan." _

"The _Shimizu clan?" Ino asks. She heard of them. They had multiple Jounin ninjas in there family and were known for a unique lightening manipulation technique. _

_Tsunade simply nods. "We assume that it is a large group of people. Once they finish with the clan, they burn the compound, so we don't know what technique or style that they tend to use. You are basically blind on this mission. Sasuke and Kakashi, your Sharigan will be especially useful. Protect the Fuyu clan and gather as much information on this enemy as possible. You leave immediately. Dismissed." _

"Three hours is still a ways to go." Ino states.

"We better get moving." Sasuke says. The sooner they extinguish the threat to his clan, the better.

* * *

"I smell smoke." Kakashi says, picking up his pace.

"How far away are we?" Ino asks her voice slightly panicked.

"Only ten minutes." Kakashi replies.

"Let's turn that into five." Naruto says pulling ahead of them with his speed.

* * *

They arrive at the compound to see it engulfed in flames. The front gate is hanging open and at least half of the buildings within are already just piles of ash and rubble. The smell of burning flesh fills the air. Even standing outside of the gate Sasuke can see some bodies that have been left untouched by flames. They appear to have been cut down with some type of sword. One of the bodies is headless implying that the wielder had some skill. After all, decapitating somebody was not an easy feat.

Underneath all of the death and destruction was a hint of life, a glimmer of chakra hidden deep within the compound. Sasuke bursts through the gates immediately, searching for a body whose heart is still beating.

While the outside of the compound was devastating, inside was so much worse. Sasuke passes by burning houses and bodies, until he finds the building that contains the chakra signature. By the looks of it, it's the main clan building. It's expansive and in the very center of the compound. Flames were currently consuming the right side –or what was left of it anyways. Unfortunately, that was the side where Sasuke knew the survivor was.

He breaks in the front door and runs inside. He navigates the intricate hallways through the thick smoke, spotting at least three more decapitated bodies. He follows the pull of the chakra until he reaches a large room. It would have been grand if not for the flames engulfing it, the charred floor is covered with ornate tapestries and on the walls hang the remains of extravagant paintings.

The Uchiha activates his Sharigan in order to see more clearly, scanning the ground for any signs of life.

The first thing he sees is the body of a boy. He looked to be around the age of seven. His face is so peaceful he looked like he could just be sleeping, but Sasuke notices the diagonal gash from the boy's right shoulder to the top of his left hip and knows that he isn't the source of the chakra signature. Nobody could survive a wound that deep.

Sasuke adverts his eyes until he sees a second body. The Sharigan user rushes towards it knowing that the ceiling of the room wouldn't hold much longer under the influence of the unforgiving infernos.

He stares down at the figure crumpled on the floor, he can here the faint heartbeat coming from their chest and knows that this is the person he's been sensing. He flips the darkly cloaked figure onto it's back so he can assess the damage.

Sasuke breath leaves him at what he sees. The figure is a woman and from what he can tell, she looks about his age. Her skin is so fair and smooth it could put porcelain dolls to shame. Pink tips of hair peak out from underneath the dark hood that was concealing her face only moments before.

_An angel… but angels don't bleed. _

* * *

**_AN:_**

So yeah, you're probably a little confused, but don't worry things will start to make sense in the next chapter. Yes, this is pre-massacre (notice I said "pre" *nudge nudge hint hint*). Yes, Ino's on Team 7. (For all those Ino haters out there, bear with me, she's not going to be a "major" character in this story.)

Sasuke might act a little bit differently, at least at the beginning of this story because his clan hasn't been murdered by his brother. But do not fret! There will still be plenty of Sasuke/Itachi tension.

Finally, please review! I'll be happy to answer any questions with a PM :)


	2. Blossom

**A/N: I'm honestly not too happy with this chapter and would like to apologize ahead of time if it's kind of boring. (Please bear with me… things are about to get interesting.) **

* * *

**Unhinged**

Blossom

The smooth skin of her face is marred by a large gash on her left cheek. Blood trickles down from the wound and pools in the hollow of her neck. Numerous slits decorate the cloak covering her, each serving as a source for more of he crimson liquid to leak from. Knowing that it's not doing her much good, Sasuke removes the cloak from the unconscious girl's body.

Underneath, she wears a thin strapless dress, which Sasuke assumes was white until blood dyed the majority of it red.

The Uchiha only gets a chance at this quick examination of his newfound victim before the creaking of the ceiling reminds him that time is fleeting. He quickly lifts the almost weightless girl into his arms and, Sharigan still activated, starts searching for a way out of the burning room.

He spots a doorway that has yet to be consumed by flames, but by the time he reaches it, the ceiling on the other side has caved in deeming the passageway unusable.

He quickly glances around, but no other exit is apparent to him. While formulating a plan, he lays the girl face down on the ground so that she's breathing in cleaner air and raises the mask attached to his collar to his own face.

_I can't break down the ceiling; there are at least two floors above us and I can't go breaking through walls either; I could bring the entire place down. _

From his position sitting next to the girl, Sasuke notices dark ink swirling along her neck. Curious, he gently moves the hair that's concealing the rest of the mysterious marking. Below the pink veil, at the base of her neck, twirls an intricate design consisting of a cherry blossom surrounded by spiraling vine-like branches.

Turning her head so that he can see more of the tattoo Sasuke notices that they curl completely around her neck.

…

_like a collar. _

…

Unconsciously, his fingers brush against the center of the cherry blossom causing the girl's body to jerk. Sasuke yanks his hand back as the girl flips onto her back.

The reflections of the flames dance within green pools that serve as iris as the girl quickly sits up. Sasuke remains motionless while the girl gapes at his Sharigan laden eyes.

"Y-your eyes!" The girl gasps as she crawls backwards away from him. "They… they l-look… familiar… like bl-blood." The last words come out as a whisper.

Sasuke's face betrays no emotion even though her statement confuses him. Suddenly, her eyes widen as she takes in her surroundings for the first time.

"F-f-fire!" She suddenly shouts as she jumps up. Once on her feet, the emeralds flicker around nervously as if desperately searching for an answer in the unforgiving flames. Sasuke observes her cautiously, as if she could spontaneously combust at any given moment. Her gaze jerks the little boy's body that's still lying on the ground, undisturbed by the flames.

"Ryo!" She starts to run towards the body, but her face twists in pain and her steps sway drunkenly from blood loss. Sasuke reaches her an instant before her knees hit the ground. He gently eases her to the floor and places his arms on her shoulders awkwardly as if trying to comfort her. The Uchiha has never been good with emotional people, but the young boy was obviously important to this girl.

"No! How could they kill him? He's just a little boy." Tears start running down her face. "He wasn't even old enough to enter the academy." Her shoulders are now convulsing violently.

"The shinobi are cruel." Sasuke's voice holds no emotion, as if this scene of a girl crying over a dead child has no affect on him.

"Who are you?" The girl's tone is stern and accusing.

"That's not important, what's important is finding a way out of here." The ceiling lets out a groan, emphasizing his point. Sasuke rushes to the blocked doorway and starts trying to clear a path through.

"What are you doing?" The pink haired girl slowly gets to her feet, this time only losing her balance fractionally.

"Hn. You ask too many questions." The dark haired boy replies, getting slightly annoyed at her.

"And you answer too few." She snaps back, anger apparent in her voice.

He spins around and crimson eyes angrily bore into hers. "In case you haven't noticed, the room we're in is on fire and the ceiling about to cave in at any moment."

"There's another way out." Sasuke stares at her and she takes it as a sign to further her explanation. "The Fuyu compound has a chain of tunnels running all throughout it." Her tone hints that he should have known this piece of information from the start. She moves to the carpet that the boy, Ryo, is laying on. Her eyes soften.

"The entrance is under this rug." After seeing the boy's body again her shoulders seemed to sag in defeat.

Being very gentle, Sasuke picks up the body of the child and respectfully lays it down elsewhere. The girl flips up the rug, revealing a trapdoor beneath it. Sasuke takes over and pulls the panel up. Stairs wind down into darkness.

"Come on." He says are he starts heading into the chasm. The girl follows silently.

* * *

Once in the passage a loud crashing noise signifies that the ceiling of the room they had previously occupied had given way.

Sasuke turns to the pink haired girl who has now wrapped her arms around herself and is trembling.

"Do you know your way around down here?" He asks her while removing his cloak and placing it over her shoulders. She mumbles a statement of gratitude before responding to his question.

"All the passages are designed so that if you just walk straight you'll eventually run into the river."

They walk a few steps before the girl halts.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks while directing his attention to her wounds.

"They're all dead aren't they?" Her voice quivers slightly.

"From what I could see on my way in here, you were the only survivor." The girl sinks to her knees and knots her fingers in her hair.

"Why? Why kill an entire clan off? What could somebody possibly gain from this?" Not having an answer, Sasuke remains quiet.

"We should keep going, it's not necessarily safe down here and my team's waiting."

Slowly the girl stands up, but she's still unsteady. Sasuke eyes her warily, ready to assist her in case her legs give out again.

"Are you okay to keep walking?" Sasuke asks noticing the girl moving at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Yeah, just slow down a little bit. I think my ankle's twisted." The pair continues – slowly but surely – down the dark cavern for a couple more minutes before Sasuke decides that it's time to put a name with the pretty face.

"So, who are you?" Sasuke asks, his curiosity breaking his emotionless demeanor.

"Me… I'm-" But before she can reveal her identity, the cavern starts shaking

"Shit! The whole tunnel's going to collapse." Sasuke says before picking the girl up and tossing her effortlessly over her shoulder.

"Hey! Put me down!" The pinkette exclaims while pounding her fist on his muscular back.

"No time." He answers seriously while running down the expansive shaft.

Soon enough light is visible at the end of the darkness. Sasuke lets out a sigh of relief as he realizes that this nightmare is almost over.

At the mouth of the tunnel a dark figure is framed by the blinding sunlight.

Sasuke skids to a halt.

"Itachi."

From behind the mask, a new voice speaks.

"Foolish little brother."

* * *

**A/N: Again, sorry for the boring chapter, but at least now we have some Itachi in the mix ;)**

**So I'm going on vacation to the US! I'm so excited, but it's a nine-hour plane ride there and back. Lucky for you guys, that means a lot of time for writing… A LOT of time for writing.**

**Also, I'm starting two more full-length stories which we should see the first chapters up sometime during the beginning of April.**

**Please review and feel free to comment on any suggestions you have to help me improve my writing. All feedback is appreciated! **


	3. Vacant

**AN: Early update for you guys :) Happy Easter!**

* * *

**Unhinged**

Vacant

The night air is cool, but the crackling fire provides warmth for the surrounding people. Kakashi and Naruto are busying cooking some fish over the infernos, while Ino tries her best to heal and comfort the girl that was found in the destroyed compound.

Meanwhile, a few paces away from the camp, concealed by the trees and the cover of nightfall, two Uchiha boys exchange a tense conversation.

"So what are you doing here?" The younger one questions, "Tsunade said that all of the ANBU were busy with other missions."

Unaffected by his brother's hostile tone, the taller of the two lazily leans against a tree, animal mask in hand.

"I got back early and she sent me here to check on you." Glancing in the direction of the rubble pile made up of the remains of the destroyed compound, Itachi continues. "I would assume it's safe to say that you failed your mission?" The emotionless tone matches the posture of its owner.

"The Fuyu compound was already in ruins by the time we got there. At least _I_ found a survivor." Sasuke's eyes blaze with the Sharigan as his agitation increases.

"That girl? I would hardly call her a survivor. She's not even a Fuyu. Just look at her hair color." The speaker remains emotionless. "No matter what way you look at it, the family you were charged to protect is extinct, the salvation of a girl unconnected to them is hardly considered a success."

A moment of thick silence passes between the two brothers.

"You don't know if she is irrelevant, perhaps she saw something." Sasuke states, hating the fact that his brother is belittling him… again.

"Who is she?" Itachi finally asks, piercing the quiet with his calm voice.

"I don't know. I didn't get a chance to ask, but she has a strange tattoo wrapping around her neck."

"Anything particularly distinguishing that we should be familiar with?" The ANBU commander asks, knowing that many organizations throughout the nations mark their members with tattoos.

"It's a cherry blossom with branches forming a choker of sorts." Sasuke answers quietly.

"Cherry blossom?" Itachi bemuses, but doesn't elaborate before pushing off of the tree and walking back towards the camp.

"Where are you going?" His younger brother yells after him.

"To get some answers from our newly acquired flower."

* * *

The pink haired girl stares into the fire, from her perch on a tree stump, she watches the unforgiving flames consume the logs that were placed on them only moments before.

_Just like those bodies_

…

_They're gone_

…

_You're alone_

…

_Weak. Worthless. _

"Let me see your ankle." The blonde kunoichi kneels and begins inspecting the damaged joint. The owner doesn't say anything, but winces slightly when the medic nin starts manipulating it. "You definitely sprained it. I can use healing chakra to mend the muscles, but it will still be sore." The green-eyed girl remains silent, staring at the mocking flames.

"I'll leave you alone now, but let me know if anything else hurts." The girl stands up to leave. "I'm Ino by the way." She turns to head into the woods where the two dark-haired boys disappeared.

_Your fault_

…

_That little boy_

…

_Dead._

* * *

Ino bends down by the river and starts the process of washing her face. She thinks back to the day's events.

"_Sasuke, come back! Sasuke!" She yells after her teammate that just vanished through the smoke. _

"_He's found somebody." Kakashi states._

"_Should we let him go off on his own like that?" Naruto asks, eyeing the smoke wearily. _

"_He's fine, the assassins are most likely long gone by now." Kakashi opens the gate to the compound up wider. "Come on, our mission has been change to reconnaissance. We're looking for anything that can give us clues about this new enemy; look for weapons, remains of jutsus, anything. _

_Ino heads down the main street of the compound._

…

So much death.

…

_Blood splattered on houses, sidewalks, streetlights… everywhere. _

_Ino kneels down next to a body in order to investigate it more thoroughly. The it looks as if it belongs to a young woman, though the age is hard to tell because the head is missing. _

_She picks up one of the hands to examine it and notices numerous callouses decorating the palm and fingertips._

Definitely a shinobi, though judging by the lack of defensive wounds, I doubt she got the chance to put up much of a fight.

_Ino gently sets the arm back down and moves up to the neck. _

_She swallows down bile that rises up to the back of her throat. She had seen many gruesome sights as a shinobi, but nothing quite prepares you for the sight a decapitation. The ghastly wound looks even more macabre with the orange firelight illuminating it._

_She leans closer and notices that it's a clean cut. _

It must have been an extremely sharp katana, and the wielder had to have been immensely strong.

_Deciding that she'd seen enough, Ino crosses the corpses arms over its body in a sign of respect and bows her head, whispering a little prayer._

"_I'm sorry this happened to you." She says. With a final glance at the headless body, the girl stands up and walks away. The smell of burning flesh is suffocating so she picks up her pace with the mindset that the sooner she finishes, the sooner she can escape the horrifying stench._

_After inspecting several more bodies with similar results, Ino concludes that there's not much else to discern and starts to head back towards the front gates. The overall process had taken her close to three hours, so it's not surprising when Naruto and Kakashi are already waiting for her at the gate._

"_No sign of Sasuke yet?" Ino asks, not spotting their quietest teammate. _

"_He's on his way." The voice of Ino's latest infatuation comes from within the darkness. _

"_Itachi." Kakashi respectfully acknowledges him with a nod._

"_My brother is currently in the under tunnels of the compound, he'll be showing up near the river momentarily." Bright red eyes are visible in the darkness. "He has a person of interest with him." _

_Without another word, the red eyes disappear. _

"_Yeesh, that guy always gives me the creeps." Naruto exclaims, a little too loudly. _

"_It's called being mysterious! And most girls find it attractive! You're just jealous that he's perfect!" Ino defends, thumping Naruto in the back of the head. _

"_Alright guys, settle down. Now is not the time." Kakashi cuts in before things get too violent. _

_Moments later the two Uchihas appear; Sasuke is carrying a pink haired girl who's wrapped in his cloak and slung over his shoulder like a rag doll._

"_Ino, take care of her, her ankle's broken." He says setting the girl down on the ground. _

The sound of Sasuke yelling snaps Ino out of her flashback.

"What do you mean by that? You can't interrogate her out here!" He sounds furious. "She just saw multiple people slaughtered. Your interrogation can wait another day."

"I don't have another day. I'm an elite ANBU captain, I know how to get the information I need." Itachi sounds emotionless, but menacing at the same time.

When the Sharigan wielders come into view, Ino stands from her place at the riverside.

"Itachi-san, I mean no disrespect, but the girl's in shock. She won't be able to give you any answers." Ino states knowing that the girl is in no emotional state to deal with an interrogation.

"Yamanaka, I appreciate your input, but I have my ways." Itachi's voice is as smooth and seductive as silk. Ino wants to just curl up right there and listen to that voice forever.

"Why are you treating her like a suspect?" Sasuke yells, breaking the spell that Itachi had over his female teammate.

"There have been over five incidents like this and so far she is the only survivor found. That in itself is more than a little suspicious." Hints of anger are weaving there way through Itachi's usually calm composure. He briskly walks towards the fire with Ino and Sasuke trailing closely behind him.

Once there the three take in the site of Naruto with an arm protectively over the rescued girl's shoulder. She unseeingly stares into the flames while the blonde tries his hardest to get a word out of her.

Itachi moves forward and nudges Naruto out of the way. The blonde is apprehensive at first, but, noticing the glare from Kakashi, backs off without a word. The eldest Uchiha may be a bastard, but he's a strong bastard and a high ranking ANBU.

"What's your name?" Itachi asks, his tone flat and emotionless.

The girl remains unmoving, green eyes vacant. Itachi moves so that he's kneeling in her line of sight. He's between her and the fire now. His position puts her eyes on his, but she stares pass them as if she's no longer an inhabitant of her own body.

"What is your name?" No change in the resigned girl. Itachi remains emotionless, but the flash of his Sharigan is evidence of his increasing agitation.

He grabs her chin and forces her head up so they see the crimson depths. The action brings her back to earth and her eyes widen softly. She puts her small hands on his wrists and tries the pry the firm hand off her face, but to no avail.

"You should really learn to answer the first time a question is asked, especially now since you owe my brother a life debt." The victim thrashes against Itachi even harder.

The blacks in the interrogators eyes start to pinwheel. The girl opens her mouth in a silent scream, but no noise comes out.

"Stop it Itachi!" Sasuke shouts at his brother. "You're hurting her!"

Naruto stares at the scene before him, he wants to yell out and tackle the older Uchiha, but he knew better than to interfere. This was Itachi's mission and interference would be seen as treason.

Another look at the terrified girls face and Naruto is just about to interfere (treason be damned), when Itachi roughly frees her. The action plus the force of her attempts to pull away send her falling off the stump and sprawling backwards.

Sasuke, feeling an overpowering need to protect the girl from his brother rushes forwards to help her. He pulls her head into his lap.

She stares up at him, her eyes, a complete contrast from before, are full of emotion. Tears form in the corners.

"Sakura." She whispers; green locked on onyx.

"What did she say?" Naruto asks, his voice sad and quiet opposed to his usually cheerful self.

"She said her name is Sakura." Sasuke repeats still looking at the girl's face.

Itachi emotionlessly turns away and starts heading back towards the river.

_I told you I have my ways. _

* * *

**AN: **

**Bad Itachi, scaring poor Sakura like that, but that tattoo obviously means something. Quite a turnaround on Sakura's behavior, why is that? ;) **

**Two hours of plane time down 7 more to go... plus the layover... At least Florida waits for me on the other side. (Just hoping my laptop battery holds out)**

**The man next to me is currently reading over my shoulder and giving me a strange look… That's right, I'm talking about you, turn around and eat your peanuts. :) **

**So yes, a little more excitement in this chapter and it's a little longer as well. I'm working on trying to make these chapters longer. Maybe I should be more descriptive? I don't know, I need your guys' feedback. **

**Okay, I'm talking too much. Please review! **


	4. A Plot, A Past, and A Promise

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to try updating more often because I have so many more ideas for stories I want to write, but I don't want to have 20 unfinished stories on my profile. My only solution: write faster! Oh and I love all of the positive reviews, whenever I read one I get fuzzy feelings inside 3**

* * *

**Unhinged**

A Plot, A Past, and A Promise

"Was that really necessary?" Kakashi asks the red-eyed man who had just finished his hostile questioning.

"Yes," the voice is cool and emotionless, the owner completely unaffected by what just took place. "In fact, the minute she enters the gates to Konoha, I'm planning a full out interrogation." The Itachi bends down by the river and starts washing his hands.

Kakashi inwardly cringes. He had seen the interrogations that took place in the basement of Hokage Tower. He himself had even conducted a few; they were gruesome and usually ended in the questioned person being carried out in a body bag.

"Have her there within the week." Itachi says from behind his animal mask.

"You're not taking her with you?" Kakashi inquires slightly confused.

"No, I have other matters to attend to." The menacing ANBU stands and gracefully flicks water droplets off of his hands.

* * *

"Your brother's an ass." Naruto states. After witnessing the heart-wrenching scene, his usual hyperactive mood had mellowed out.

"I know," Sasuke replies, thinking back to the day that Itachi had shown him his true colors.

_A ten-year-old Sasuke eavesdrops on a conversation between some of his distant relatives. _

"_Itachi's such a bastard! He thinks he's too good for anybody else, he won't even discuss missions with us, let alone have a normal conversation" An angered voice states. _

"_Yeah, he probably doesn't even have a heart," A second voice adds with a scoff. _

_At this statement, Sasuke snaps. He walks up to the group of men and starts defending his brother. _

"_You're wrong. My brother's the best, he _is _too good for you." Sasuke gestures towards the first man who had spoken. _

"_Watch your mouth boy!" A third man who had yet to contribute to the conversation, snaps, but Sasuke ignores him as he turns towards the second man. _

"_He does have a heart! My brother loves me and my mom and my dad!" Sasuke is yelling loudly and attracting quite a scene._

"_Your brother doesn't love anybody." The man rebuttals. _

"_Yes he does!" Sasuke's fighting back tears, "You don't even know him!" _

_At this the first man opens his mouth again, "No Sasuke, _you're _the one that doesn't know him." _

"_Shut up!" Sasuke yells in the offending man's face before turning and running towards his house. _

_Once there, Sasuke eagerly searches for his brother, desperate to prove those men wrong. He jogs through the house until he reaches Itachi's room. Finding it empty, Itachi heads towards the training field at the edge of the compound. _

_Once there, he finds Itachi throwing some kunai at targets, hitting the mark every time. "Big brother?" Sasuke calls timidly from behind the tree that's concealing him. _

_Itachi doesn't stop throwing kunai, but speaks. "What is it Sasuke?" _

"_Will you train with me?" _

"_Not today Sasuke." Itachi lets out a sigh of annoyance. "Go ask mom." _

"_You never want to train with me." Sasuke says sadly. _Maybe those men are right. "_Is it because you're too good for me? Am I just the annoying little brother that you have to put up with?"_

"_You're starting to sound like our dear cousins." Itachi's voice is its usual emotionless self. _

_Ashamed, Sasuke lowers his eyes to the ground. "Can you train with me tomorrow?" _

"_Can't, I have a mission tomorrow." Itachi replies. _

"_What about when you get back?" Sasuke inquires. _

"_I don't know Sasuke. I'm an ANBU captain my life is pretty busy. I don't have time to play with children." Sasuke, hurt by his brother's words, feels tears burn at the back of his eyes. _

_"But we're family, we're supposed to help and love each other." He says quietly._

"_Family causes you to have emotional ties. Emotional ties hold you back and make you weak." Itachi's voice remains nonchalant, but Sasuke picks up on the edge of irritation. _

"_Am I a weakness, Itachi?" _

"_No," Sasuke looks up in the hopes of Itachi proving those men wrong and showing him some sort of positive emotion. "You. Are. Nothing." Each word is uttered slowly, emphasizing the meaning of them and after each one, Sasuke's face grows a little more devastated. _

_Itachi continues despite Sasuke covering his ears. "You are worthless, not even a threat to me. I easily surpass you, and there's nothing you can do to get out of my shadow." _

_Sasuke refuses to believe it. He leaves his hands firmly on his ears and drops to his knees. _They were right. Those men were right. He doesn't have a heart. He doesn't love anybody.

Sasuke is brought back to the present by Naruto's voice.

"What type of Sharigan did he use on her?" The blonde shinobi asks then adds, "I've never seen that design before and she looked terrified."

"I don't know." Sasuke tells his best friend. _And that terrifies me. _

Naruto decides to drop the topic and move on to a new one.

"Sakura… pretty name." The boys watch as the pink haired girl in question gets her ankle treated again by Ino. "Think I have a shot?"

"No." Sasuke replies quickly. He doesn't know why, but he feels strangely protective of this girl. _Guilt? Maybe I just feel bad as to how Itachi treated her earlier. _But even as he thinks this, he knows it's not true. It's too strong of a feeling to pin it as guilt. It's almost as if… _she's mine._

* * *

Ino had just finished tending to Sakura's ankle for a second time when she was nominated to fill up everybody's water bottles before they had to start traveling again. She was kneeling down by the river when she felt an ominous presence behind her.

Quickly grabbing a kunai from the weapon pouch by her side, Ino jumps to her feet. But before she's standing completely upright, strong arms restrain her from behind. "You're too slow," a voice whispers in her ear.

"I-Itachi." Ino stutters at the thought of her current crush with his arms wrapped around her. She swallows hard.

"I have a side-mission for you from the ANBU." His voice almost purrs in seduction. "You are to befriend our new found cherry blossom." He backs up and spins Ino around so that she's facing his Sharigan eyes. "You are to report any information to me and me alone." His face moves towards closer to her.

Ino's heart skips a beat. _Is he going to kiss me? Finally, I've been waiting for you for so long!_

However, Itachi only whispers in her ear. "This is to be confidential. Do not tell anybody, especially my idiot brother." Then, with a puff of smoke, the ANBU is gone. Leaving a disappointed Ino standing all alone by the rapidly rushing river.

* * *

Pink hair flows behind the woman walking briskly through the woods. She's unsure of where she's going and doesn't really caring either.

The moment Ino had finished healing her, Sakura had fled, taking advantage of her lack of supervision.

_What was that? What did that man do to me?_

A flash of images race through her mind; light reflected off of the metallic surface of a needle, a white room splattered with blood, and eyes… eyes so black that only a tainted soul could posses them.

_Why do I keep seeing these things? _A very irritated Sakura ducks under a branch and continues running in between the trees.

_It was those blood red eyes. They did something to me! Why do they look so familiar? _Hundreds of questions buzz through her mind, but one sticks out above the rest.

_What happened to me? _

* * *

From above, red eyes stalk the girl that's making her way through the woods. Her face looks frustrated and angry, yet determined. He had been watching her ever since she left the camp, waiting for a chance to make his move.

He watches as she trips over a tree root and falls facedown.

_Now's a good a time as any. _

He jumps down from his perch in the tree and makes his way towards the fallen woman.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke watches as her shoulders visibly stiffen. Slowly, Sakura raises herself to a seated position, brushing off the layer of dirt coating her dress. She remains silent.

"Ino says that it's shock., the reason you won't talk to anybody." The girl's eyes remain staring at the forest floor.

Sasuke doesn't expect her to respond so when a timid voice replies, he almost misses it. Almost.

"It's not shock."

Sasuke jumps on the answer with another question. "What is it then?".

Innocent green eyes look up at him, freezing him in place. "I don't know."

"Well then, why do you talk to me?" He asks, curious about the strange relationship they've developed: him getting protective about her, her speaking to nobody but him.

"I don't know…" She takes a long pause before speaking again. "You make me feel safe."

Sasuke doesn't know what to say, so another heavy silence looms over them. The only sounds are their breathing and night crickets chirping away.

Sakura finally speaks again breaking the silence. "What did he do to me?" Her voice cracks a little, as if it's painful to think about.

Sasuke helps her to her feet and starts leading her back to camp. "He showed me something, I know he did. I just… can't remember what."

"The Sharigan has special properties, one of which is to implant images in your mind, another is to alter memory." Sakura stops walking at Sasuke's last words.

"I think not remembering is the worst type of torture." She says. Sasuke has a feeling that she's referring to something else, but before he can dwell on it she turns to him. For the second time in only an hour, Sasuke's deemed motionless by those impossibly bright, green eyes. However this time, tears glisten in the corners, ready to spill out at any moment.

"Please don't let him near me again!" She says in desperation. Sasuke jerks as small arms wrap around his waist and a pink head buries itself into his chest.

_Why do I feel so attached to you? _Sasuke wonders. _This is ridiculous. I've known you a day… this is only our second real conversation. _He glances down and spots the black cherry blossom on the back of her pale neck. The dark ink jumps out on her almost translucent skin. Unconsciously, Sasuke runs a finger over it and the protective feeling washes back over him.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He wraps his own arms around her small frame returning the embrace. "I promise. "

* * *

**A/N: Okay! Yay for longer chapter! Still not 2000 words, but I'm working on it. Oh and don't worry, Sasuke and Sakura are not in love (I'm not going to make it that simple) they just feel a strange bond between each other. Why is that? ;)**

**Another flashback in this chapter… are they getting annoying? Let me know in a review.**

**I'd like to clarify that I'm not an Itachi hater, (he's actually one of my favorite characters). He just makes such an awesome bad guy… maybe I should work on a separate story where he's the good guy… Time to hit the notebook again ;)**

**Please, please, please review! You don't know how happy it makes me when you do. They always give me inspiration and encouragement to write faster. **


	5. Emergence

**A/N: I told you I would start updating faster, however, don't always expect back-to-back updates. I'm currently on vacation and have a lot of free time. (Lucky for you guys). **

**A couple of people have been asking me about Naruto's role in this story. I'm sad to report that he will only be a minor character, because this story is very Sasuke-Sakura centered. Keep faith however because my new story, Apartment 7, will have a lot of Naruto-Sasuke-Sakura craziness in it. Check out my profile for more info on that. Without further adieu I present to you Chapter 5 of "Unhinged".**

* * *

**Unhinged**

Emergence

The Team 7 members, plus their new addition, walk along the dirt path leaving the Fuyu compound behind them. Kakashi leads the way, followed closely behind by an arguing Ino and Naruto. Lastly, Sasuke and Sakura walk a few paces behind them, keeping their pace slow.

"So where are we going?" Sakura asks quietly. She had still yet to say anything to the other members.

"Konoha, our home village." Sasuke replies curtly.

"Konoha? I've never heard of it." Sakura replies.

At this, Sasuke stops his steady pace. "You've never heard of Konohagakure? It's the main village in Fire Country." He's tone disbelieving.

Sakura doesn't respond, as if the topic is uncomfortable for her. Sasuke, not one to pry, decides to postpone this conversation for another time. They walk on in a comfortable silence before Sakura speaks again.

"What will happen to me?" She asks timidly. Sasuke is about to answer, but a blonde ball of energy pops up next to them and slings an arm over girl's shoulder.

"So you do talk!" Naruto says excitedly before launching into a spiel about ramen. Sasuke, while a little uncomfortable about Naruto and Sakura's close proximity, tunes out the obnoxious shinobi and contemplates Sakura's last question.

_Where _will _she stay? There's the refugee homes, but… _Sasuke immediately establishes that those are not an option for Sakura. Too many crimes take place there.

_I could set her up at the main house on the compound, but Itachi lives there and I don't want that bastard anywhere near her again. _Sasuke considers the most obvious option, his apartment.

He had moved out of the main house last year on his 18th birthday. Away from Itachi, but close enough that he could still see his parents often.

He shudders at the thought of the heated argument that had taken place when he suggested moving out. His father had been furious, but after Sasuke had explained that it would give them privacy as well as giving himself some independence they had compromised. He could have an apartment as long as it was on the compound.

_It's established then, Sakura will stay with me. This way I can keep an eye out for her while keeping her away from my bastard brother._

Sasuke turns to rescue Sakura from the still gabbing Naruto when he hears the familiar sound of something flying through the air. Acting purely on instinct the Jounin tackles Sakura to the ground, right before a clay bird lands on the tree that she had been walking past only a moment before. The bird explodes sending splinters of wood flying through the air.

Sasuke continues covering Sakura's body protectively with his own as the debris rains down. Dark eyes look down into terrified green ones. "Are you okay?" he asks her.

The only response he receives is a slight nod. The already large eyes, which are looking up at him, widen more as an expansive shadow is cast over them.

Sasuke rolls off of the girl and immediately jumps into a defensive position. Looking up at the cause of the shadow, he is shocked to see a much larger version of the bird that had exploded earlier. This time a man with long blonde hair rides on top of it.

"Sasuke!" At the sound of his name, Sasuke snaps into to action just as a large puppet comes at him with a sword. He breaks the puppet with a punch only to be confronted by another.

He looks around to see the puppet master, a redhead boy looking only around the age of 16, controlling his mechanisms with chakra strands that are attached to his fingertips. Sasuke takes out three more puppets before a feminine scream makes his blood run cold.

He takes a moment to acclimate to his surroundings and sighs with relief when he realizes Sakura's still standing where he left her. However, a chill runs up his spine when he follows her gaze to the sky.

There, on top of the large clay bird, in the arms of the unknown man is Ino. The man's arms melt into clay, rendering her incapacitated and making it impossible for her to fight back.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi yells. "Naruto and I will go after Ino. Protect Sakura and meet us at the rendezvous point."

_As if I would let anything happen to her. _Sasuke thinks as he dodges another attack. However, in his moment of distraction, a sinister looking puppet with blades for arms gets a shot in and leaves a large gash on Sasuke's left calf.

Immediately, he feels the sticky liquid pouring out of the wound. It's not a major wound, but it is bleeding heavily and could cause some serious damage if not tended to. Sasuke ignores it and keeps fighting off wave after wave of wooden fiends, but internally, he scolds himself for getting distracted for a second time.

The sheer number of puppets that the man is controlling is overwhelming. Sasuke uses a fireball jutsu and is rewarded when ten of the creations go up into flames.

"Oh come now, you just took out some of my best works." The puppet master says as he continues to launch the attack on Sasuke.

"You attack my team out of no where," Sasuke says in between punches and jutsus. "The least you can do is tell me your name."

"Very well," The enemy says, his voice calm and soft. "I am Sasori of the Akatsuki."

Then suddenly, Sasuke hears a soft body hit the ground.

* * *

Sakura's breath is knocked out of her lungs as she hits the ground and her ears are ringing from the explosion. She stares up into the dark eyes of the Uchiha that had just saved her.

"Are you alright?" His voice is calm but forceful. She nods instead of speaking because, with the intense look on his face staring down at her, she doesn't trust her voice.

Suddenly, the sun is blocked out by a large figure looming over them. Before Sakura can even blink, Sasuke's on his feet ready to protect her. She slowly stands up and tries to prevent her head from swimming.

In the distance she spots a figure dressed in a black robe with red clouds on it. The mysterious man flicks on of his arms and a life-size, katana wielding puppet moves towards her distracted protector.

"Sasuke!" She yells giving him just enough warning to move out of the way. Sakura shifts her gaze to the rest of their travel group. She sees Naruto and Kakashi dodging explosions while trying to make their way towards a handsome blonde man who's wearing the same cloak as the first one.

Suddenly a clone of the blonde man appears behind an unsuspecting Ino. He picks her up and jumps onto the large bird. Ino lets out a scream as they land on the flying piece of clay.

Sakura looks away to Sasuke. She's horrified as she sees a menacing looking puppet cut his leg with a sword. Blood spills out onto the dirt pathway that has transformed into a battlefield.

_Blood… _

_Everywhere…_

_Splattered on white walls…_

Sakura watches are fire obscures her vision of the dark spikey locks.

_Piercing black eyes…._

"_Doesn't it look-" _

The images are replaced with darkness as her motionless body hits the ground.

* * *

Sasuke turns just in time to see the pink head of hair crash to the dirt path.

"Sakura!" He calls out for her as he runs towards where she lay.

Sasori takes advantage of this and uses the distraction to detain the Uchiha. Sending four puppets at once, he uses his chakra to wrap their limbs around the raven-haired boy.

Sasuke pushes against them, now infuriated that he can no longer reach the girl he promised to protect, however, the puppets remain in place.

"These puppets are special. They are designed specifically for the apprehension of enemies." Sasori informs the aggressive shinobi. "The more you struggle, the tighter they become."

Sasuke helplessly glances at Sakura's still unmoving body.

"Now then," Sasori flicks his right wrist, sending two puppets towards the unconscious girl. "This girl seems very special to you, and I see why. She's so beautiful." The Akatsuki member twitches his fingers in anxiousness. "Exotic even. She would make a wonderful puppet. After all, true beauty and art should be preserved."

The puppets haul Sakura up into a standing position, but her head lifelessly falls against her chest. Her chin heading the base of the tattoo adorning her neck.

"Sakura!" Sasuke calls out as the puppets surround her. He nervously wiggles his arms only to feel the restraints on him become tight enough to break the skin. "Sakura! Wake up!"

More are closing in on her.

"Would you please just do something?" Sasuke cries in desperation.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, Sakura's head snaps up, green eyes darkening. "What would you have me do?" Her voice is inappropriately calm for their current situation.

"Protect yourself firstly!" He shouts.

Not wasting a moment more, Sakura rips off the arms of the puppets restraining her.

* * *

_Interesting…_ Sasori ponders to himself as he watches the scene of the small girl ripping his puppets limb from limb. _I guess it's time for me to join in on the action myself. After all, I myself am the best puppet ever created. _

Sasori launches himself at the pink haired girl.

"I think you might be one of the best puppets I'll ever create." Sakura moves out of the way of the rapidly charging redhead.

"I'm sorry, but I already have a master." She states, dodging another attack from Sasori.

He lands behind her and gets a good view of the back of her neck.

_A cherry blossom?_

…_That seems familiar. _

Picking up a katana from the ground, the Akatsuki member charges straight at her once more. This time he aims for her heart. And this time, Sakura doesn't have enough time to escape the attack.

"Sakura!" Sasuke, still fighting the restricting bonds and earning himself a few cracked ribs, yells as he see's crimson splatter the path.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I want to apologize if there wasn't as much action in this chapter as you would have wanted. Frankly, I'm just not very good at writing fight scenes. Oh and sorry if Sasori is kinda OOC, I was having difficulty writing his dialogue… oh well, I tried. **

**Also, I wanted to let you know that I added a progress section to my profile, which I plan on updating regularly. So if you're curious as to how far I'm in with my writing process, check that out! **

**Remember, reviews are love 3 **


	6. Aftermath

**A/N: Okay, so I originally planned to have this up yesterday, but I've been living it up in Florida, (I'm currently typing this poolside). Usually I reply to my reviewers via PM, but when somebody posts as a guest that's obviously not possible. So as a message to all of the people who have read and/or reviewed my work, I appreciate it so much and it makes me so happy when I read the reviews. Okay, enough gabbing on my part.**

* * *

**Unhinged**

Aftermath

"_Sakura!"_

_Crimson splatters the dirt path._

…

"I know what you are." The puppet master utters these last words before his chin limply hits his chest.

Sasuke takes in the sight of his small female companion shoving a sword through the chest of a motionless Sasori. His emotionless façade is broken as his eyes widen in shock. How was this petite girl, who before was stumbling over her own feet, able to bring down such a powerful enemy?

The puppets restricting Sasuke's movements only moments ago become limp and fall to the ground.

Stepping free from his fallen adversaries, Sasuke moves towards the pink haired girl.

"How did you do that?" His voice is awestruck. The girl however does not get a chance to respond as she tumbles to the ground, unconscious for the second time that day.

* * *

Sasuke carries an unconscious Sakura as they arrive at the rendezvous point. He looks around to see a piece of paper attached to a nearby tree by a shuriken.

_Ino and Naruto in critical condition. Went ahead. _

_Keep the flower safe._

Sasuke sighs as he rips the paper from its spot. He debates whether to continue on to Konoha or sent up camp for the night.

An ache in his leg reminds Sasuke that both he and the girl in his arms took quite a beating. Deciding that traveling in this condition would be dangerous, Sasuke starts to set up camp.

* * *

The dark haired Uchiha tightens the bandage around his leg with a grunt.

_Damn puppet. _

After finishing tending to the rest of his wounds, he turns to the pinkette lying on his sleeping mat. Her dress, while in bad shape before, is now nonexistent.

_I have to take her dress off. _Sasuke wasn't new to seeing naked women. He'd seen the inside of plenty of brothels, but somehow, this felt… different.

Sasuke lifts Sakura up by her shoulders and leans her against his chest. There's no zipper on her dress, but there's a tear on the side from the top of her thigh to the bottom of her rib cage.

Sasuke rips it open wider until he can pull the bloodstained piece of clothing off. Adverting his eyes, he lays Sakura back on the sleeping mat and starts shuffling around in his pack for some clothes.

He pulls out a pair of black shorts and a blue shirt and sets them to the side. Next, he starts shuffling through the open med kit. After picking out some gauze and antibacterial cream, he finally turns his eyes to the girl he just undressed.

Her creamy skin is a stark contrast to the black-laced panties and matching bra, matching the black on white theme of her tattoo. The fair skin is marred with blood and deep cuts. Her pink locks frame her face like a halo, giving her an extra feel of innocence.

_So beautiful_

He thinks back to how she skewered that Akatsuki member.

_But deadly._

It takes some effort, but eventually he manages to pull his eyes from her delicate body. He directs his attention to the sword wound on her side and starts cleaning it.

Her body jerks when he first presses the cool cream to it, which is understandable because the stuff hurts like a bitch, but she relaxes as he soothingly rubs it into the cut and wraps the injury in gauze. He finishes patching up the rest of her major wounds and looks back at her face. Her expression is serene and her eyebrows are relaxed.

His gaze travels down and rests upon the black ink branching around her neck. The tattoo gives her body a sense of surreal elegance, the entwining vines interlocking creating the extravagant design. Unconsciously, Sasuke's fingers start tracing the overlapping lines.

_Why does this feel so right?_

* * *

_Blood… _

_Splattering the pristine room, _

_Forming handprints on her white hospital gown. _

_Needles repeatedly piercing her skin._

"_Doesn't it look-"_

…

"_Beautiful."_

_The sickeningly sweet voice echoing those words over and over again in her mind._

"_Would you please…"_

_Black eyes stare at her as if reading her soul. _

_The black eyes bleed into a bright crimson. _

* * *

Sasuke had just finished dressing Sakura in his spare outfit when she started shaking violently. He lifts the convulsing girl into his arms.

"Sakura! Wake up."

The girl keeps shivering. Sasuke starts rubbing her quivering limbs in effort to warm them up.

_I should have packed a sleeping bag. _

Suddenly, she bolts up right. With one look at Sasuke she screams and scrambles off of his lap.

"Those eyes." She whispers before pulling her knees up in protection while leaning her back against a tree.

Realizing that he must have let his Sharigan activate by accident, Sasuke lets his eyes fade back to their usual color before making his way towards Sakura.

"It's me," He kneels down next to her. "It's Sasuke. Remember?" He tries to keep his tone soothing, but he's never been one of those guys who people came to for comfort.

She looks at his face and recognition passes over her as if somebody had flipped a switch.

"Sasuke?" She says slowly.

"Yes," He gradually wraps his arms around her as if she might shatter at any moment.

"Oh gosh," She puts her face in her hands. "What did he do to me?" Her shoulders shake as she starts to cry.

Sasuke thinks back to the strange pattern that Itachi's Sharigan had taken. "It doesn't matter." He says nonchalantly, "Because he's not going to get a chance to do it again."

He holds her for another minute before her shoulders stop trembling.

"Please don't leave me." Her voice becomes strong and steady.

"Never." He replies without missing a beat. He hurriedly stands to his feet. "Come on, we should start heading towards Konoha."

"What about the others?" Sakura asks.

"They are waiting for us there."

Content with his answer, Sakura stands up and starts walking next to him.

* * *

They walk for most of the day in silence. Every once in a while Sakura would ask a question about the village and Sasuke would give short answers.

After an especially long period of silence, Sakura decides to bring up an earlier topic of conversation.

"You never did tell me where I'm going to be staying."

"You'll be staying with me." He replies.

Sakura slows down. "Why are you taking care of me like this?" Something glistens behind her eyes… _Hope?_

"It's my mission." Sasuke states plainly. Sakura's face falls. "but," he adds, searching for the words. "I feel… responsible for you." He pauses, "It's almost like…"

Sasuke doesn't get a chance to finish as the gates of Konoha come into view.

"Wow," she says in awe. "It's huge!" Sasuke gives a smirk at the childlike look on the girl's face.

They walk through the gates and with a puff of smoke, squads of ANBU surround them.

"Are you Sakura?" A ninja with a mask resembling a monkey asks.

"Uh… yes." Sakura replies slowly while stepping closer to Sasuke.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asks callously.

"By order of the ANBU, the refugee Sakura, distinguishable by her pink hair color, is to be taken under arrest for interrogation."

"What?" Sakura asks innocently.

"It means, my little cherry blossom," Itachi emerges from the crowd, his eyes flashing blood red. "That I have some more questions for you."

* * *

**A/N: Remember to check out my profile for progress updates and don't forget to leave a review. It gives me motivation to write more. **


	7. Frozen

**A/N: Sorry it's late guys, I've just been lacking motivation. There haven't been many reviews for the past couple of chapters :( Is it getting bad? (Okay I'm getting a little insecure,) **

* * *

**Unhinged**

Frozen

"It means, my little cherry blossom," Itachi emerges from the crowd, his eyes flashing blood red. "That I have some more questions for you."

"Like hell you do!" Sasuke yells before pulling Sakura even closer to him.

"Foolish little brother, I'd like to remind you that I am an ANBU officer. Oppose me, and you oppose Konohagakure." Itachi's voice is smooth and unemotional as he utters the threat.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near her." The younger Uchiha lowers to the ground in a fighting stance, ready to go against the entire ANBU army if need be.

"Why are you so protective of her?" Itachi wonders aloud.

Without missing a beat Sasuke responds. "She's mine."

_Curious…_ With a flick of his hand, Itachi signals the other ninja to take Sakura by force.

Sasuke immediately lashes out taking down two ninja before others are able to restrain him. He violently fights to try and gain control of his own body. Getting impatient with the high-spirited Uchiha, an ANBU hits him in the back of the head with a jutsu, rendering him unconscious.

Before his eyes close, Sasuke gets the glimpse of a smug Itachi standing behind a very terrified green-eyed girl.

* * *

"What were you doing at the Fuyu compound?" Itachi asks calmly.

Sakura couldn't respond even if she wanted to. It was as if her vocal chords were frozen in fear. The red eyes, make even more threatening under the buzzing fluorescent lights, stare at her expectedly.

"Still mute, huh?" Itachi bemuses as he reaches for her hand. "You are such a delicate little thing." His calloused fingers rub her smooth palm. "And you know, when I get angry, I tend to break things." He grasps her pinky finger in his hand. "And nothing gets me more angry than not getting answers."

Sakura just stares up at him, her vocal cords still covered in a layer of ice.

"I'll ask one more time before I start to lose my temper." His grip tightens on her fragile finger. "Why were you with the Fuyu's?"

Sakura's voice is still lost to her so she is unable to respond. Realizing this, Itachi swiftly bends the captured finger upwards and doesn't release it until an audible _snap_ is heard.

A slight whimper escapes Sakura's mouth.

"You still have nine more fingers, my little cherry blossom." Itachi says calmly as he reaches for her ring finger.

Still no response. Another broken finger.

"Tell me!" Impatience causes Itachi's voice to raise slightly, a rare occurrence for him. This time he bends her middle finger up slowly. Sakura's face contorts as she anticipates the new broken bones. At the last second however, Itachi releases her finger roughly, and moves to the back of her chair. "I'm getting irritated, little flower."

Nothing but silence from the frightened girl.

Itachi grabs a handful of her pink locks from behind and starts pulling them. The force causes Sakura's neck to strain. If she weren't chained to the chair, her whole body would rise in the air. Unfortunately, she is secured to the metal piece of furniture, making the pulling of her hair all the more painful.

Itachi is relentless as he continues his assault on her. Sakura thinks her whole scalp with tear off, as the burning sensation in the back of her head grows more ravenous. She feels blood starts to trickle down her forehead. The ice constricting her vocal chords shatters as a pained scream escapes from the girl's throat. Itachi releases her captive strands and moves to face her.

"Now are you ready to tell me?" The defeated girl lowers her face so she doesn't have to look at her assailant. Itachi leans his hands on Sakura's forearms and whispers in her ear. "I know what you are. I know from where you came."

Sakura's face snaps up and large emeralds stare into pools of black. Itachi pulls back and casually props his elbows on the table behind him.

"Look at you." He says casually and taunting. "You appear so innocent. Not even fighting this." He leans forward and whispers into her ear. "But I think we both know that's not the case." Confusion passes over the pinkette's face. "After all you did kill that Akatsuki member, and that tattoo, I know what it marks you as, even if you don't know yourself."

Itachi grabs her injured hand in his large one and squeezes. Another scream escapes Sakura's throat. She tries to pull her hand away, but it's no use; she's too weak.

With his free hand, Itachi grabs the girls face and forces her to look in his eyes. The black depths are replaced with a spinning crimson pattern. Sakura screams more, desperately trying to get away from his grasp.

As the darkness starts to consume her, she shouts her first word the entire interrogation.

"Sasuke!"

* * *

The dark-haired boy is standing in the center of the Hokage's office, restrained in chakra cuffs.

"You tried to fight off the ANBU." Tsunade, the current leader of Konoha, sits at her desk questioning the panicked looking teen. "Why?"

"Itachi was taking Sakura." His voice breaks at he imagines what the bastard could be doing to her right at this moment.

"He's an ANBU who warranted an arrest for the girl. Why would you defy that?"

"I believe he abused his power when he first questioned her on the Fuyu mission. He flat out tortured her only moments after she had been rescued."

"You realize as shinobi it's our job to get information in anyway possible." Tsunade replies, though the torture of that seemingly civilian girl did sit uneasy with her.

"I understand that, but he went completely overboard. Sakura was in shock and couldn't even speak."

"Hm," Tsunade ponders for a moment. "I will not discontinue the interrogation taking place right now because Itachi has told me he believes the girl holds valuable intel on the massacres," Sasuke clenches his fist angrily. "However, I will allow you to observe the questioning along with an ANBU escort." Sasuke anxiously fidgets with his bindings as Tsunade nods her head towards one of the ANBU standing guard at the door.

The masked shinobi comes forward and proceeds to remove Sasuke's restraints. Sasuke bows his head thankfully towards his Hokage and silently follows the ANBU as he heads out the door.

* * *

The two walk in silence down the halls of the interrogation building. The place is eerily silent and smells strongly of disinfectant. Suddenly, a piercing scream is heard from the corridor at Sasuke's right. Without a second thought he darts down the hallway towards where the unsettling noise came.

_Sakura, it's barely been a day and I've already broken my promise to you._

The scream stops and Sasuke realizes that he is now lost in the uniform hallways that lead throughout the mazelike building.

The horrified crying starts again and Sasuke gets back on track. He spots a door and instantly knows that the noise is coming from behind it. Unfortunately, two Jounin stand in front of the door as guards.

"Let me in." He demands the two men. Neither budge. "Can't you hear that? He's hurting her damn it!"

One of the ninja shoots him a look. "That's the point of interrogation chambers."

"I have permission from the Hokage to spectate and I plan on entering that room whether it means fighting you or not." There's no doubt in the young Uchiha's mind that he can take them, he's a Jounin too after all. However, it would be less time consuming for them to just allow him access.

Sasuke is about to punch the man in the face when he hears a feminine voice scream his name in pain. He crouches down into an offensive position ready to attack, when one of the seemingly startled Jounin moves to unlock the door. Sasuke bursts into the room ready to defend the pink-haired girl, but pauses at the horrifying scene displayed before him.

A fragile looking Sakura chained to a high-backed metal chair, the fingers on her left hand twisted in angles that are painful to look at, and a line of blood running down her face. Her eyes wide in horror as the dark haired interrogator stares into them, his Sharigan spinning menacingly.

Sasuke takes advantage of his brother's distraction and tackles him to the ground. He straddles Itachi and lands a punch on his face. Fully focused now, Itachi stares up at his brother in anger and grabs Sasuke's wrist before he is able to execute another attack.

"You should not have interfered." He states blandly before bucking Sasuke off of him.

The younger shinobi lands on his feet next to the chair restraining the frightened girl. He pulls the chains off of her and looks pleadingly into her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sakura."

Only a millisecond after the chains hit the ground, Itachi gets the jump on his brother and now Sasuke is the one pinned, his face down to the cold, tile floor.

Sakura watches on, her brain muddled from pain and fear as Itachi grabs Sasuke by the hair and proceeds to rub his face into the ground. A _crack_ signals a broken nose.

That crack is like a bullet shot. It brings clairvoyance to Sakura's mind and she's able to focus on what's happening. Seeing blood pooling below Sasuke's face, she lunges after the boys and pries at Itachi's shoulders, attempting to get him to cease his attack on Sasuke. Itachi releases his brother's head and focuses his attention on the girl hindering his movements.

"So now you have some fight in you." Itachi muses. He opens his mouth to speak again, but the ANBU that was supposed to be escorting Sasuke rushes into the interrogation room along with the two Jounin that were guarding the door.

The ANBU pulls Itachi up and restrains his arms behind him. Deciding it's in his best interest to be compliant, Itachi doesn't struggle against him. Instead, he watches as the tight-lipped girl leans over his brother and takes his face in her hands. She leans down and touches her forehead to Sasuke's cut open one.

Sakura's eyes never leave Sasuke's as she starts to speak. "I don't know why I was there." Tears leak from the corner of her eyes.

"Sakura," Sasuke reaches a hand up to wipe one of the tears.

"There's your answer!" The girls voice holds anger and frustration now as the tears start rushing down her face more furiously. Even though her voice is directed at his younger brother, Itachi knows that Sakura's words are meant for him.

"Itachi, you went too far and what did it accomplish? Nothing." The ANBU tells him as they exit the room.

"No," Itachi states. He glances at the couple possessing injuries inflicted by himself and gives a malicious grin. _I found her breaking point._

* * *

**A/N: I'm not super happy with how this chapter turned out, but my my, emotions are certainly starting to build. **

**Itachi, Itachi. What are you planning now? **

**I feel kind of bad making him so mean, but it's so much fun. ;) Hopefully my next update won't take quite so long, but finals for school are just around the corner :( **


	8. Skip This Chapter Please :)

**Author's Note**

Hello! Sorry that this isn't actually chapter 8, but it's coming, I'm about halfway through with it. I just wanted to thank all of you that are continuing to follow this story and are reviewing. You don't know how much motivation it gives me.

But good news! (Unless you don't like my writing) I'm happy to announce that I am now at episode 250 of Shippuden (I know, I'm behind, but I'm getting there). Inspiration struck me during episodes 206 and 214, and I am currently planning out a new One-shot and possibly a new story. Now what significant events take place in these episodes that could possibly inspire a SasuSaku writer? ;)

Unfortunately, finals are starting and life is getting really hectic so I'm sad to say that the updates will most likely have longer gaps in-between them. (This goes for all of my stories.) I also wanted to apologizing for my long gaps of absence. (2 months until summer break!) However, just as a little motivator to encourage you to bear with me, here's a little Sneak Peek of the next chapter _Failure_!

* * *

**Sneak Peek!**

"Itachi, you're behavior during that interrogation was inappropriate. Usually I would overlook this sort of thing, but you didn't even gather any information." The Hokage sits at her desk, her fingers steepled, her green gaze locked with the dark, blank stare of the Uchiha.

"But I did find out something." He replies monotonous. Tsunade raises her eyebrows in expectation. "Sasuke has formed an uncommonly strong bond with this girl." _Which is surprising because he doesn't bond with people easily, especially stupid girls with pink hair. _

"Anybody could have figured that out. The boy fought off the ANBU for crying out loud." Tsunade is getting impatient with the arrogant interrogator.

"Yes, but this means that we have leverage." Itachi states. Tsunade's eyes widen when she realizes what he's implying.

"No way, I am not allowing you to torture a shinobi of Konoha. Sasuke is an asset of this village and I will not give him a reason to doubt his loyalties." She's about to suggest that Itachi should get the hell out of her office, but he silences her with three whispered words.

"It's from _him."_ Itachi emphasizes the last word.

"What is?" The Hokage responds cautiously.

"That 'tattoo', it's a curse mark of sorts." Itachi knows that these words will allow him the free reign when it comes to getting information from the pink-haired girl.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asks, nervously twirling a strand of golden hair between her fingers. Itachi's eyes, sans Sharigan, lock with her honey-colored ones.

"Positive." Tsunade lets out a sigh and Itachi knows that his persuasion skills have paid off once again.


	9. Breaking Point

**Unhinged**

Breaking Point

"Itachi, you're behavior during that interrogation was completely inappropriate. Usually I would overlook this sort of thing, but you didn't even gather any information." The Hokage sits at her desk, her fingers steepled, her stern gaze locked with the dark, blank stare of the Uchiha.

"But I did find out something." He replies monotonous. Tsunade raises her eyebrows in expectation. "Sasuke has formed an uncommonly strong bond with this girl." _Which is surprising because he doesn't bond with people easily, especially stupid girls with ridiculous pink hair. _

"Anybody could have figured that out. The boy fought off the ANBU for crying out loud." Tsunade is getting impatient with the arrogant interrogator.

"Yes, but this means that we have leverage." Itachi states. Tsunade's eyes widen when she realizes what he's implying.

"No way, I am not allowing you to torture a shinobi of Konoha. Sasuke is an asset of this village and I will not give him a reason to doubt his loyalties." She's about to suggest that Itachi should get the hell out of her office, but he silences her with three whispered words.

"It's from _him."_ Itachi emphasizes the last word.

"What is?" The Hokage responds cautiously.

"That 'tattoo', I believe there is more to it than what meets the eye." Itachi knows that these words will allow him the free reign when it comes to getting information from the pink-haired girl.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asks, nervously twirling a strand of golden hair between her fingers. Itachi's eyes, sans Sharigan, lock with her honey-colored ones.

"Positive." Tsunade lets out a sigh and Itachi knows that his persuasion skills have paid off once again.

* * *

"How's your hand?" Sasuke asks.

Sakura shrugs and looks down at her broken fingers. After fighting against Itachi, they had ended up in even worse shape. The pain throbs, but it's nothing compared to the burden that weighs on her heart. Sasuke had jumped in to save her without hesitation. He had gotten hurt because of _her. _

The two sit on the floor of the interrogation room. After ushering Itachi out, the ANBU had strongly recommended that Sakura stay put and Sasuke had refused to leave her side.

The Uchiha raises a hand to his broken nose and gives it a quick twist; it realigns with a quick _pop, _causing Sakura to wince and her shoulders to slump. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"You got hurt." Her voice meekly replies.

"It's nothing. I'm a shinobi, I can handle a broken nose." Sakura looks up at his face and notices several other cuts adorning it as well as the irritation in his obsidian orbs.

"Are you… are you mad at me?" she asks and at the question his eyes instantly soften.

"Of course not," he sighs and gently wipes a trail of blood from her forehead. He looks into her green eyes. A ring of chartreuse lines the outside, flecks of gold dot the inside, and everything in between is shaded in a breathtaking viridian.

_So innocent. _

First Sasori and now Itachi; it astounded him how, while she appeared so fragile, she could throw herself at powerful shinobi without a second thought. Unconsciously, Sasuke leans forward, entranced by her irises. The hand that had been at her forehead moves down to caress her cheek, his thumb brushing softly on the smooth skin. Her eyelids lazily droop shut as she moves to tilt her face up expectantly. Sasuke lets his own eyes shut as well before leaning in completely.

Just before he can complete the action of brushing their lips together, the lone door in the room swings open with a _bang. _

Both of the interrogation room's occupants' eyes snap open and focus on Itachi entering; his eyes take in the scene before him. Instead of moving away out of embarrassment, Sasuke stands up and pulls Sakura behind him.

"I will not let you touch her again," he tells the intruder, menace dripping from each word.

"Oh my foolish little brother," Itachi taunts. "If I were you, I'd be worried about my own safety right about now." Before Sasuke can even respond, Itachi is holding him against one of the white walls, a hand securely wrapped around his neck.

Sakura lets out a scream as her tormentor pins Sasuke to the wall. A gasp leaves her mouth as she watches Itachi's eyes begin spinning in a way that she has come to dread. Sasuke's own eyes widen in shock as he's sucked into the world of living nightmares.

"Stop it!" She yells, not wanting Sasuke to have to endure that torment. Itachi turns his head to her in acknowledgement.

"Are you ready to talk little blossom?" his voice, smooth and emotionless.

Sakura drops to her knees and clutches her head between her hands, begging her brain to remember something, anything. A loud _smack_ signals that Itachi had released Sasuke, who now lies in a heap on the ground. The elder Uchiha brings a foot back as if to kick the younger boy.

Desperate, Sakura delves deeper into the recesses of her mind until she reaches a barely-there memory.

"Accident." As the word leaves her mouth, Itachi returns his foot to the tiled floor.

"What was that?" He asks calmly, trying to coax more out of her.

"It was an accident. I was wandering in the woods and Fuyu-kyou found me." She grasps at the memory trying to get more out of it. "I-I don't remember why I was out there, but he took me in. Fed me, clothed me, he even paid for me to have private tutors."

"A man opened his house for you and you killed him in cold blood. Decapitated him and left his body for the maggots." Itachi moved so close to her that his hot breath hit her face.

Sakura feels tears run down her face. She wants to yell out that she loved him as a father and would never hurt him, but her tongue refuses to work.

"Nothing to say?" The eldest Uchiha bemuses as he moves away from her, back to Sasuke who had begun to rise to his feet. With a quick motion, Itachi kicks him in the face. "What about the assassins? What did they look like?"

"I don't remember! I blacked out!" she cries. "Now stop hurting him you bastard!"

"Not good enough little flower." He moves as if to inflict another kick, but Sasuke moves faster and lands a punch straight to Itachi's jaw.

A now furious Itachi blocks Sasuke's next move and gives him a quick jab to the ribs, but Sasuke, determined not to go down without a fight, hops up and begins circling his elder brother.

Sakura's eyes widen in horror as Sasuke's eyes bleed to red, his intent to kill practically radiating off of him.

"All I remember is black eyes and fire!" She practically shrieks as the brothers begin charging at one another. Powerful chakra builds behind both of them and Sakura fears that if they collide the whole room might explode. Not a second too soon, the door slams open for a second time.

A woman that Sakura doesn't recognize rushes in, two blonde ponytails blowing behind her.

"Itachi! Stand down!" The woman shouts. As if he wasn't even fighting to begin with, Itachi straightens himself up and walks out the door of the interrogation room. Sasuke stares at the woman, anger evident on his face.

"What the hell, Tsunade!" It was more of an exclamation than an actual question. "How could you let that bastard back in here?" Tsunade ignores the livid Uchiha and kneels next to the broken girl on the floor. Another woman, this one a brunette, enters the room.

"Shizune, tend to Uchiha's wounds." She instructs and the other woman instantly obliges, she then turns to Sakura. "Hold still." She says while placing a hand on Sakura's blood-crusted forehead. The pink-haired girl does as instructed and instantly feels the burning along her scalp diminish. Next, the lady continues to heal Sakura's cuts and bruises, taking an especially long time on the cuff marks adorning her wrists and ankles.

From her place on the floor Sakura watches as the brown-haired lady, Shizune, places glowing green hands on Sasuke's various injuries. They close up without a trace and Sakura's jaw almost drops. Sasuke himself wears an annoyed look, but he has settled down slightly.

Feeling Tsunade pull at her injured hand, Sakura lets out a small whimper of pain. Hearing this, Sasuke flinches and his rage comes back as strong as ever.

After Tsunade has spent a good deal of time on Sakura's hand, she stands up and addresses the fuming, raven-haired man. "She will be staying with you. I will provide you with compensation for whatever extra expenses she causes." She begins to take her leave with Shizune and makes it all the way to the doorway before Sasuke swallows his anger enough to say something.

"Do you really-" he is cut off when the Hokage furrows her brows and speaks again.

"We will discuss all of this at a later date." Her no-nonsense tone insinuates that arguing would be a _very _bad idea. The two women exit leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone in the bedraggled room.

"Come on." Sasuke finally says in a way that indicates that he is still extremely pissed off. With that, he walks out the door only looking over his shoulder once to make sure Sakura is following him.

* * *

Sasuke leads Sakura to his apartment in silence, unable to bring himself to words. It had been less than a week and he had already broken his promise to protect her, his brother had humiliated him, and his Hokage had allowed it all. Sasuke suppresses a shudder when he thinks about Sakura strapped to the foreboding chair.

Upon reaching his apartment, he opens the door and steps aside so that she can enter. It's a small place: a kitchen to the left, a living room to the right, and a short corridor leading to a bedroom and bathroom.

Sasuke jerks his head as a gesture for Sakura to follow him down the hallway. He opens a door on the right and reveals a bathroom. "Take a shower. Towels are under the sink and there are some clothes on the counter." Afraid at what she will say, Sasuke quickly walks back down the hall to the kitchen.

* * *

Sakura sighs as the warm water beats against her sore back. She watches as blood tinged water swirls down the drain, flexing her newly repaired hand. It was a little stiff, but other than that it was as good as new. But even though her external injuries were healed, her brain and heart still hurt: her brain because of the confusion that followed her miniscule memory recovery and her heart because of Sasuke.

She sighs again as she thinks of the handsome boy that she had only known for about a week. He had saved her, almost kissed her, saved her again, and now he would barely speak to her. Was he angry that she had caused this? Did he blame her for him having to fight his brother?

The entire way to his apartment she had wanted to say something… anything, but he was angry and she didn't want to annoy him. But the silence had been deafening, it was late in the night so nobody else was on the street, contributing to the awkwardness. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and comfort him, but why? What was this connection between them?

Figuring she had used up enough hot water, Sakura steps out of the shower and begins drying off. Once satisfied, she inspects the pile of clothes, a black shirt with a symbol of a fan on the back and a pair of white shorts. After putting the clothes on she looks at her reflection in the mirror and laughs.

These clothes fit the same as the last set Sasuke had put her in; the shirt coming down to her mid-thigh, the short sleeves reaching her elbows, and the need to hold the shorts up by the waistband to keep them from pooling around her ankles. She had left her bra off, but had put her underwear back on, gross but necessary. Due to the fact that Sasuke didn't have any conditioner, her long pink tendrils lie in a tangled mess on top of her head.

She opens the bathroom door only to be met with an emotionless faced Uchiha Sasuke. His hand is lifted in the air as if he were about to knock. He slowly lowers it and moves past Sakura, into the bathroom. After notifying her that she can help herself to any food in the kitchen, he shuts the door with a soft thud.

Saddened by the action, Sakura hunches her shoulders and slowly walks towards the kitchen. Taking a whiff, she instantly perks up at the smell of ramen. After scooping herself a healthy portion of it from the large pot on the stove, she sits at the small kitchen table and slowly begins to eat the food. After only five minutes, she hears the shower shut off and the bathroom door open.

Sasuke emerges dressed only in a pair of black shorts, his raven spikes sticking to the side of his face and neck. Steadily walking to the kitchen, he completely ignores Sakura, though he joins her at the table after retrieving his own bowl of noodles.

They sit and eat in silence; well Sakura eats, while Sasuke mainly stares into his bowl as if trying to make it burst into flames. Not able to stand anymore of the awkwardness, Sakura finally get up the courage to speak. "Sasuke? Are you okay?"

He gives a 'hn' as a response.

Not knowing how to interpret this, Sakura pries more. "What's wrong?"

Sasuke freezes his actions and his shoulders start shaking slightly. At first Sakura thinks he's laughing at her, but is shocked when a tear rolls down his check and drops to the table. Wanting to comfort him, she moves until she is kneeling in front of the chair he's sitting in, setting a hand on one of his cheeks. He looks at her face and secures one of his own hands on top of her wrist.

"I broke my promise." It's almost a whisper, he's obviously shamed by the fact and Sakura doesn't know what to say. So instead, she wraps both of her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "Would you please forgive me?" He whispers into her still damp hair.

Without a second's rest, Sakura replies with a "yes". They stay in their embrace for a little while longer, neither wanting to be the first to pull away. Eventually, Sakura yawns, exhausted.

"Come on," Sasuke says, standing up. "I'll get you settled in bed." Still holding one of her hands, he leads her to the door at the end of the short hallway and opens it.

A double bed is pushed against the wall; next to it sits a nightstand with an unlit lamp on top of it. Other than a small black dresser, the room is bare and tidy. Sasuke gestures for Sakura to take the bed.

"If you need anything, feel free to wake me up." His tone is much more relaxed than before, as if the relief of Sakura's forgiveness was enough to calm him. Once Sakura lies on the bed and snuggles under the blankets, Sasuke places a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I'll be on the couch."

"No!" She practically shouts while reaching out to grab his hand. Suddenly feeling timid, she begins to bite her bottom lip. "Don't leave me… Please."

A shocked look passes on Sasuke's face before his eyes soften. He realizes that she is terrified after today's events and, judging by her sleep talking the past couple of nights, she must be having some sort of nightmares. So, he settles onto the bed next to her, and wraps a strong arm around her waist as a reassuring gesture. Inside he secretly cheers because even if it was just outside the door, being on the couch was much too far away from her for his liking.

Breathing in the scent of her neck Sasuke realizes that he could get used to this.

* * *

Ino pears out at the moon from her hospital window, she hadn't been able to sleep, the hole in her side to thank for that. She swears to herself that he next time she sees that pyromaniac she's going to take over his mind and force him to fall into a hole with a pointy object at the bottom, right after she asked what type of shampoo he uses.

Movement at the other side of the room catches her attention and snaps her out of fantasizing about Deidara's death. She jumps slightly at the sight of red eyes peering from the darkened corner, but composes herself when she realizes who it is.

"Itachi-kun," she lets out a sigh of relief.

"Ino," She wants to melt at the sound of her name in his velvety voice. "What did you find out about Sakura?" He moves to the side of the bed and looms over, causing Ino's heart to jump in her chest.

"Not much, I'm afraid." She replies, ashamed that she had been unable to complete the mission her beloved Itachi-kun had assigned her. "We were separated, and even before that she wouldn't speak a word to me."

Itachi lets out a disgusted huff before backing away. "You failed. I guess I am not surprised, but I did have hope that you would not prove to be completely useless to me." Ino's face falls at his words. They were simple, but cut like a knife.

Frustrated, Itachi exits the hospital room. His last hope failed him, now he will be forced to visit the den of the devil.

* * *

**A/N: Finally! *sigh of relief* I know, it probably wasn't as citrusy as some of you would have hoped, but there's still a lot of story to go ;). **

**I have created a Livejournal account (link on my profile)! I will be posting sneak peeks, ideas, and requested items on there so go check it out and friend me!**

**Lastly, PLEASE REVIEW! I will give you some delicious German butter cookies if you do :) And Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors, I proofread this while half asleep. **


	10. A Fleeting Sense of Normalcy

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all my loyal readers and reviewers, namely **Freedom and Hope. **Thank you so much for your continuous reviews and PM's they have really helped me to get off my lazy butt and write faster. You're awesome. **

* * *

**Unhinged**

A Fleeting Sense of Normalcy

"I see your experiment worked." The words are said in the usual emotionless tone of the speaker.

"Oh?" A second voice chimes in as if pleasantly surprised. "I figured it had simply combusted. Our connection had broken off while it was off on a mission for me."

The two speakers converse within the darkened refines of a cave, which is unmarked on any map. The breathing of the occupants is silent due to years of training to be undetectable.

"Connection?" The first voice asks.

"Why yes," the words practically curl off the tongue of the orator. "I had to keep track of it some way. It forms a sort of imprint with its current master, but there are… side affects." The last words are uttered after a pause, but the voice remained cool and light hearted. "It's a two way bond, feigning attraction between master and servant. I had grown so… attached." An unwanted hiss attaches itself to the last word.

"You never did tell me the details of how it works," the tone implies that the speaker wants to know more.

"A choice set of words and your wildest dreams will be fulfilled," his voice rises in excitement. "Once they are uttered, nothing can stop her."

"What if I told you I know where your little experiment wandered off to?"

"Then I would ask what's your price to take part in a retrieval trip," the second voice says, his interest peaked.

"The only price is that you be less vague with your previous answers and for shelter once I meet you again."

"That's all?" Obviously pleased by the offer, the man flashes a wicked smile into the darkness. "I accept."

* * *

Sakura sits up with a jolt, the last images of the nightmare flashing through her mind. It had been the same since she had woken up in the flame-engulfed compound; a needle repeatedly piercing her skin, a blood-splattered white room, dead black eyes watching her, and a sickeningly sweet voice whose words she could not quite make out. She wraps her arms around herself, trying to suppress the convulsions racking her body.

The bed shifts slightly and warm arms wrap around her from behind. "Did you have that nightmare again?" Sasuke whispers the question in one of her ears. Still too frightened to speak, Sakura just nods. "Do you want to talk about it?" She shakes her head signaling a 'no'.

Sasuke spins her around so that they are sitting up, facing each other in the center of the bed. "You know if you talk about it, it might help." Her body stops quivering, so Sasuke releases her and instead, rests his elbows on his knees.

Sakura slowly lifts her head up to look into Sasuke's piercing eyes. They were completely different from the dark eyes in her dreams. While the eyes in her subconscious are blank and resemble gaping holes, Sasuke's glint and dance with emotion, in the moonlight they appear a dark blue, like an ocean reflecting the midnight sky.

"I keep seeing these black eyes watching me, but I can never make out the face connected to them." She starts shaking again at the thought, so Sasuke pulls her to his chest.

"I'm sorry, I should have never let Itachi near you." His voice is filled with shame causing a burden to weigh on Sakura's heart.

"I already told you that I've forgiven you." She tells him while smoothing his disordered spikes. A small smile sneaks its way onto her face as she relishes in the softness of the raven locks.

"So the comforter has become the comforted," Sasuke says quietly before laying back down on the bed, pulling Sakura with him. "Try to go back to sleep, I'll be right here to keep the nightmares away."

* * *

Sakura had been living with Sasuke for almost a week, they had quickly picked up the habit of sharing a bed due to Sakura's nightmares and Sasuke's need to have her in view at all times. It had come so natural. Sakura is easy to share a bed with, she doesn't kick in her sleep, and she doesn't steal the blankets. Other than her habit of lightly snoring, which Sasuke finds sort of endearing, and her nightmares, she is the perfect bed companion.

Sasuke looks down at the woman in his arms – she always snuggled into him whenever she drifted off into unconsciousness. Her head lies on his chest; her pink locks splayed out around her looking slightly purple in the moonlight. With one of his arms draped over her waist and the other on her shoulders, he can't help but feel the rightness of the situation.

The Uchiha symbol smiles up at him from its place on the large shirt that Sakura had turned into her permanent sleepwear, causing Sasuke's mind to drift off into dangerous territory. He imagines what it would be like to wake up in this position everyday, the only difference being that a ring would adorn her left hand, he would wake her up with gently placed kisses instead of a light shake to her shoulder, and maybe one day a crib would sit in the corner, a cooing baby inside.

Sasuke closes his eyes in order to try and silence his thoughts. He had much more important things to do before thinking about starting a family, like surpassing a certain bastard that he happened to be blood related to.

* * *

Sakura stands in kitchen making breakfast. On her second day living with him, Sasuke had taught her how to scramble up eggs and fry bacon, so she was putting her new skills to good use. She had just finished preparing two plates of food when Sasuke enters the kitchen, dressed for the day.

"Are you going to train today?" She asks, remembering the first time he had brought her to the field. It had started with her sitting on the sidelines observing his raw power and ended with her on the field with him.

_She watches in excitement as Sasuke leaps into the air and throws ten kunai knives. Each one hits its respective target, urging Sakura to clap her hands together in praise. Sasuke regards her from the corner of his eye and comes to stand in front of her. He holds the handle end of a kunai in front of her. _

_"You try," he says pointing to a circle target board. _

_"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea." She says, but takes the weapon anyways. It's heavy and awkward in her hands. _

_"Just try to hit the target," Sasuke tells her. Not knowing exactly what to do, Sakura closes her eyes and lets the weapon fly. She doesn't open her eyes until she hears a slight _thunk_. Sneaking a peek, she looks at the target to see the kunai implanted in the outer ring of the board. _

_"Not bad," Sasuke says. "But you need to loosen up a little more." _

_And so the training had begun, they moved from weapons to taijutsu and he even showed her some simple ninjutsu moves. At the end of their session, all of Sakura's muscles were screaming at her. Needless to say, she had passed out in the bed the second they had gotten home. _

"No," Sasuke says bringing her back to the present. "Today we are going to visit the Dobe in the hospital." Sakura thinks back to when they rescued her, the blonde-haired ball of energy was kind to her; she would enjoy seeing him again.

The two roommates ate their breakfast in casual conversation; they had grown close over their time together so they even joked around a little. Once they had eaten what was on their plates, Sasuke picks the dishes up and begins washing them in the sink.

"Go get dressed. We'll leave when you're ready."

By the time Sasuke finishes cleaning up, Sakura had emerged from the bedroom. She wears a thin-strapped red dress that reaches her mid-calves paired with silver ballet-flats. Earlier in the week they had gone shopping for clothes and necessities for Sakura. At first she was apprehensive, not wanting Sasuke to spend any more money on her, but once he explained that the money was from the Hokage, specifically for this reason, Sakura had been a little more open to the idea, but she still only choose clothes from discount racks.

Sasuke smiles a little bit while eying her outfit. She was beautiful as always, her long pink tresses swinging freely down her back.

Upon arriving at the hospital, a nurse had led the two into Naruto's room, the blonde boy now lecturing Sasuke for not visiting him for a whole week.

"Seriously Teme?" He begins his rant. "I've been in here a whole week and you didn't think to visit me once?"

Sasuke lets out an exasperated sigh instead of trying to defend himself. He had learned that once either of his teammates started ranting, it was better to let them cool off before attempting to say anything.

Sakura, who had been hiding behind Sasuke, pokes her head out to get a better look at Naruto.

"You're such a bastard! I bet you didn't even go and visit In-" Naruto cuts off mid-word at seeing the pink-haired girl. "Sakura-chan!" Sakura nods her head slightly; still a little worried to talk to Naruto. "You're still here! I would've thought you were dropped back off at your village or something."

"Dobe, she doesn't have a village," Sasuke says, before pausing to start over. "Well, at least not one she remembers." Sakura looks up at Sasuke, bright green eyes shining. "She'll be living with me until further notice."

"Really? You're going to be living with this bastard?" Naruto directs the question at Sakura, but continues talking before she can even think to respond. "Well, when you can't handle anymore of him, you're always welcome to stay with me." He waggles his golden brows slightly.

In a strange act of possessiveness, Sasuke wraps his arm over Sakura's shoulder. "I'm under orders from the Hokage, she is under _my _care and protection." Naruto scoffs and is about to object when Sakura nudges Sasuke's side, gesturing to the bowl in her hands.

"Oh, right. Well, Sakura insisted on bringing you something, so we brought you a bowl of ramen from Ichiraku." A smile breaks out on Naruto's face when Sakura places the bowl and packaged chopsticks on the table by his bed.

"Thank Kami! I would have died if I had to deal with this hospital food for another day!" Naruto eagerly places the bowl in his lap and begins slurping down the food. Just when he puts an especially large piece of pork in his mouth team 7's ever-tardy sensei strolls in.

"Sasuke, there you are." Kakashi addresses the raven-haired boy. "I just got back from a mission and heard about the interrogation. Are you and Sakura alright?" Sasuke feels Sakura tense under his arm. She obviously just wanted to forget about that whole thing.

"What? An interrogation! What are you talking about Kaka-sensei?" Naruto exclaims through a mouth full of noodles. Apparently he had been left in the dark about the whole Itachi situation.

Ignoring the injured blonde, Sasuke turns to his old sensei. "We're both fine, Tsunade came in after and healed us up. She has put Sakura under my care," he says through gritted teeth. He still feels shameful about the whole deal and did not want to give Naruto a change to rub it in that he had got his ass handed to him by his brother.

Kakashi, being the sharp man he is, caught the anger in Sasuke's tone and decided to drop the topic. He moves to the bed and starts pounding a choking Naruto on the back.

"Well, I'm going to take Sakura out for lunch now." Sasuke says while subtly moving to the door, dragging the pinkette with him. "Have fun… doing whatever it is you're doing." He exits and closes the door at the sight of Kakashi starting the Heimlich and yelling at Naruto to slow down when eating.

* * *

Sasuke sighs as he removes his boots. After taking Sakura out for lunch and walking around Konoha for a while, they had run into some fan girls that were none too pleased to see "their" Sasuke-kun with another woman. Sasuke and Sakura had been chased back to the Uchiha compound by the girls who had been demanding to know whether this "mysterious" girl was his new girlfriend.

Sasuke turns to Sakura and sees her lying on the ground, shoulders shaking.

"Sakura!" he exclaims. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt running back?" He turns her onto her back only to see that she's laughing.

It's a sweet chiming sound that reminds Sasuke of bells and sunlight. She continues laughing until tears roll down her cheeks. It was such a sweet sound; it made him think that as long as she was laughing, there were no problems in the world.

"That was-" _giggle_ "so much fun!" Eventually she calms down and continues to lie on the floor, slightly out of breath.

The second she stopped laughing; Sasuke couldn't help but think of ways to hear that joyous melody again. He leans over her and peers into her wide eyes. Obsidian pierces viridian. The atmosphere in the entryway suddenly felt much more tense and Sakura began biting her lip.

Right now, eyeing the plump rosy flesh between her pearly teeth made him want finish what he never even got the chance to start in the interrogation room. He remembers the way she had tilted her head right before Itachi had burst in. Thinking of his brother causes a new way of anger to wash over him. Slowly he leans back in order to allow Sakura to get to her feet.

"You can have the shower first. I'm going to go straighten up the room." He moves to do just that, pausing to watch the last strand of pink disappear behind the bathroom door. He exhales as he enters the bedroom. Sakura had a bad habit of leaving her discarded clothes wherever she had taken them off. He begins picking up the garments and creating a pile when the feeling of being watched causes him to halt his actions.

"What are you doing here?" He sends his accusation to the far side of the room near the open window.

"I'm just seeing how you and our little cherry blossom are getting along." Itachi bemuses as he gracefully hops from the sill. "It seems to be going quite well for knowing each other for such a short period of time," he says this while eyeing the tangled sheets on the bed.

"Get out of my house, Itachi!" Sasuke snarls, thanking Kami-sama that Sakura tends to take long showers.

"I first have a question."

"I will not fail keeping you away from her this time." Immediately the younger Uchiha drops into an offensive stance and pulls out a kunai from the holster on his hip.

"Come now brother, put that away." Itachi gestures to the weapon. "Somebody could get hurt, besides, my question is for you."

"Make it fast." Sasuke says, defying Itachi's words and staying in the battle position.

"What did you tell her?" he asks, beginning a stare off with his younger brother.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke responds sounding exasperated.

"What did you tell her that gave her the strength to impale an S-class criminal that some of our most skilled shinobi have be died by?" His voice is stern and unwavering.

"I don't know, Itachi. We were in the middle of a battle and my adrenaline was running high." _Much like it is now. _He thought before continuing his response.

Itachi does not seem satisfied. "What were your specific words?"

"I don't know," Sasuke hears the water turn off and realizes he needs to get Itachi out of there, now. "I told her to defend herself. Now get out before I make you."

Itachi frowns, but realizes that if Sakura sees him she might scream. He turns his head away, breaking eye contact before climbing back onto the sill. "Keep an eye on her," he says in place of a farewell then jumps out the window. Sakura comes in a second later, her long legs barely covered by the Uchiha T-shirt.

"What was that?" She asks innocently. Sasuke doesn't respond, not having the heart to lie to her.

"Itachi." The second he sees her face blanch, he wishes he could take it back and tell her it was nothing. "Don't worry," he moves to wrap his arms around her. "He won't be coming back." Sakura leans into him and they move to sit on the bed. "I'm going to take a shower and then we'll eat and go to bed. Okay?" Sakura turns her head to the open window and then back to Sasuke.

"He's not coming back," though he says the words to be comforting, he doesn't even fully believe them.

"Let's get something to eat." Sasuke suggests, hoping that food will get her mind off of the intruder. They make some soup and eat it in silence. Once their meal is finished, Sasuke notifies her that he's going to take a shower.

"C-can I sit in the bathroom with you?" Sakura's voice is quiet and she begins to blush, embarrassed by her request.

Sasuke doesn't respond, but leads her to the bathroom door. "Wait out here until I say." Sakura nods and waits patiently outside the door. She listens to Sasuke's quiet shuffling within, hears the shower turn on and the sound of fabric hitting the tile floor. Less than a minute later, Sasuke calls out an 'okay', signaling that Sakura can enter.

She opens the door slowly and steps into the bathroom. Steam already swirling through the air. Sakura spies Sasuke's discarded clothing and throws it into the hamper. She awkwardly stands in the middle of the room for a minute, not exactly sure what to do, but then decides to brush her teeth for a second time that night.

_Might as well._ She reasons as she squeezes the minty cream onto the pink toothbrush they had bought on their shopping trip. After brushing her teeth, she glances up in the mirror and notices something that causes her cheeks to burn anew.

Through the frosted glass of the shower stall Sakura notices the muscular back of her "guardian". The figure is blurred, but she can still make out the masculine shape of his shoulder blades, the angular contours of his back, and the lean shape of his hips. Before she even dares to lower her eyes even more, Sasuke shuts off the shower water and cracks open the door.

"Pass me a towel?" he asks, his hand reaching out from the stall. Adverting her eyes, Sakura blindly tosses him the towel. A second later, he emerges from the shower, towel wrapped securely around his waist. Sakura allows her eyes to quickly lower, just enough to see his hipbones; the top of the "v" they form is visible, the rest hidden by the towel.

Sasuke opens the bathroom door and walks out; glancing behind him to make sure Sakura is following. Once back in the bedroom, Sakura climbs into bed and turns so that her back faces the dresser, allowing Sasuke to change with some privacy.

After hearing the opening and closing of drawers, the weight of the bed dips and a strong arm wraps around her waist. With a few muttered "good night's" the two shut their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sasuke exits his apartment and stands in front of the door waiting for Sakura. He was getting ready to go train and she had needed a few more moments to get ready. He pulls out a kunai and starts idly flipping it around his index finger when a girl appears from the shadows.

She walks up to him, dark hair blowing in the breeze.

"Hitomi," Sasuke states, his expression bored.

"Sasuke," She says while wrapping her slim arms around his neck. She doesn't bother adding the _–kun, _believing them to be familiar enough to drop the formalities. "You haven't invited me over in such a long time, I'm beginning to feel unwanted."

Hitomi used to be close to Sasuke; they had a relationship that mainly involved meeting up at his apartment late at night. It probably would have continued if not for Sakura coming into the picture.

"Haven't you heard? I have somebody else to share my apartment with." Sasuke says while attempting to step away from the tall woman, but she's persistent and steps with him.

"I know she doesn't mean anything to you, Sasuke." She whispers the words in his ear before adding, albeit much more loudly, "I'm the only one that you always invite back to your bed."

Sasuke hears a gasp and realizes that Sakura had heard the last part. She had even seen Hitomi's arms wrapped around his neck, her breasts pressed against his chest. To her it probably seemed like a lover's embrace. Quickly, Sasuke removes Hitomi's arms and runs after Sakura.

* * *

Itachi stands poised on a tree within the Uchiha compound. Ever since receiving less than satisfactory answers from Sasuke a week ago, Itachi had taken to watching his brother and the cherry blossom. It had been interesting to say the least. Their relationship was obviously building; they shared the same bed each night and spent almost every waking moment with each other. However, this only meant that Itachi had an easier time of keeping track of them.

The sound of running footsteps sends him into high alert as he bends down to watch the scene unfold. He spots Sakura running, tears running down her face.

_Peculiar._

Sasuke chases after her.

"Sakura, come back!" The girl slows to a walk, but continues her way to the compound's front gates.

"I should go." Her voice is strong despite the tears. "I'm invading on your life and am just being a burden to you."

"Sakura! Come on, you know that's not true."

"I'll talk with the Hokage and find somewhere else to stay."

"Would you please just listen to me!" At his words, Sakura stops walking and turns to look at him. At the sudden change, Sasuke is caught off-guard, but recovers quickly as he reaches for one of her hands.

_Can I really do this? _He thinks to himself as he looks into her expectant, tear-shining eyes.

"I…I think I love you Sakura." With the thought that had been plaguing his mind at night said, Sasuke closes the distance between them and cradles one of her hands in each of his.

Tears stop rolling down her cheeks and she studies his face. His features plead with her to listen. "I love you, Sakura." He repeats, his face moving closer to hers. He leans in slowly, as if giving her time to move away. Then his lips crash against hers. The kiss appears gentle, but there's an obvious burning passion on both sides of it. Each giving what they had been holding back since their meeting and taking what the other offered.

When Sasuke pulls away, he leans his forehead against hers. "Come home with me."

Sakura doesn't say anything, but nods her head in agreement. Still holding one of her hands, Sasuke leads her back to the apartment. She follows without a single hint of resistance.

_Interesting. _As the observer thinks this, a plan starts forming within his mind.

* * *

**A/N: The plot is certainly thickening… Oh dear Itachi, you certainly are becoming troublesome.**

**I used this chapter to mainly build up the relationship with Sasuke and Sakura. Nothing irritates me more in ANY story/movie than when people just instantly fall in love (That's what happened to Romeo and Juliet and we all know how that ended). *End of rant***

**But yeah, a kiss! Finally! I normally would go into more detail with it, but seeing as how this one was more in Itachi's point of view, that would be a little creepy, but do not fret, more detail to come in future chapters. **

**Don't forget to check out my Livejournal for sneak peeks and story info.**


	11. Trigger

**A/N: 16craftytigers, this one's for you! :) Thanks for our conversations!**

* * *

** Unhinged**

Trigger

Sakura walks through the market, taking in the sights and sounds. The smooth voices of shop owners trying to persuade people into buying their products surround her, while scent of assorted treats fill her nose. Her first trip to the market without Sasuke was turning out to be rather fun. The vendors are bolder when it came to talking with Sakura, after all, there isn't an intimidating Uchiha walking arm and arm with her this time.

After a month of living in Konoha, Sakura had finally worked up to courage to leave the apartment on her own. It had taken a lot of persuading on her part to convince Sasuke to let her go out alone, and he was still apprehensive about the idea, but he understood that they needed to get used to being away from each other. If Sakura was to remain in Konoha and start a new life there, then they needed to get used to having some distance between them.

Since Sasuke's confession, life had become more comfortable between the two. There were no more awkward moments of wondering about where they stood with each other, though their relationship remained the same as when she first arrived, However, Sakura no longer felt like a burden to the Uchiha.

The pinkette smiles when she thinks back to the kiss; how he had taken her hands with both of his, how he told her that he loved her, how he had seemed almost shy at the confession. He moved so slowly at first, just lightly leaning in and brushing their lips together, but then he had grown more dominant; nibbling her bottom lip before slipping his tongue into her mouth.

His right hand had moved to her hip, as if to hold her more securely to his body, causing their chests to touch intimately together. At one point she switched up the positions of their tongues so they had moved into his mouth. She explored the expanses of his cavern, starting by lightly caressing his teeth with her tongue, before moving farther to explore what was beyond.

Her senses were overwhelmed with all that was Uchiha Sasuke, her whole body feeling the firmness of his muscles, her hands playing with his soft inky locks, her tongue tasting him, the smell of his aftershave filling her nose, the sound of his lips covering hers drifting to her ears, and even behind her closed eyelids, she could still see the perfection of him.

It was almost as if she would float away if his body wasn't anchoring hers and when he had broken the kiss, she felt as if just that would occur, but he still held her firmly, his forehead resting against hers. His warm breath tickling her nose. When he asked her to come home with him, how could she refuse? She was still breathless from the kiss and had to only nod in response. His left hand, which had never released her palm even during the kiss, guided them home.

Sakura bites her bottom lip at the memory, but continues wandering through the market. Eventually spotting the stall she's looking for, she makes her way over the where she can purchase produce. She picks out various fruits and vegetables and prepares to pay when she spots large red tomatoes. They are perfectly ripe and round; green stems still attached at the top. They remind Sakura of her newly acquired knowledge of Sasuke having a weakness for them.

_She stands in the kitchen preparing her lunch, while Sasuke lounges in the living room reading a book. She slices mozzarella cheese and tomatoes before arranging them around the plate and sprinkling them with freshly cut basil. She grabs balsamic vinegar and olive oil splashing them over the mixture. After grinding some pepper on the completed dish, she walks over to join her roommate on the couch. Upon sitting down, Sasuke glances up from his book to look at her plate. _

_"What is that?" He asks in his usual calm tone, but his eyes betray his curiosity. _

_"Caprese salad." Sakura responds while holding the plate in better view. She watches as he gazes at the plate almost lustfully. "Want to try a bite?" He responds with a nod as Sakura skewers some tomato and cheese on her fork. Balancing the plate on her knee, she moves the fork to his mouth while holding her free hand underneath to prevent any stray ingredients from dropping to the pristine couch._

_Sasuke relieves the fork of its contents and chews for a moment. The pinkette lets out a laugh when his eyes practically light up. After swallowing, he looks at her very seriously. "Where did you learn to make that?" _

_"I can't remember." It's true, no more of her memories of her life before the Fuyu compound had resurfaced. "Do you like it?" _

_Sasuke responds by grabbing the fork from her hand and the plate from her knee, his book long forgotten. "Hey!" Sakura objects while watching Sasuke devour her lunch. _

_"You should know that tomatoes are my favorite food." He says as if it's a justification for his salad snatching. She pouts before getting up to grab an apple from the kitchen, but not before pilfering a vinegar-drenched piece of mozzarella from her stolen plate and plopping it into her mouth. _

Sakura resists a laugh as she adds the tomatoes to her shopping basket and pays the vendor.

Figuring that she purchased everything needed, she exits the market square and begins heading back towards the Uchiha compound. She reaches the looming wrought iron gates, the red and blue clan symbol proudly displayed in the middle of it.

"Welcome back, Sakura." The designated gatekeeper greets her.

Over the past month, Sakura had grown comfortable with the Uchihas. She had made friends with the different people on the compound, including Sasuke's parents. While Mikoto had instantly befriended Sakura, it took time for her to win Fugaku's favor.

He had been very apprehensive about her until a couple of weeks ago when he witnessed her impressive chakra control in one of the many training sessions she had with Sasuke. The next day when Sakura had assisted Mikoto in making a cheesecake that happened to be Fugaku's favorite, the deal had been sealed. He wasn't a very open man when it came to his emotions, but every once and a while he would nod his head in approval or acknowledgement at her.

Luckily, Sasuke would only take her to the main house when Itachi was away. The whole subject of Itachi became mum when they were around Sasuke's parents. Neither party mentioned the whole "interrogation" incident and that was fine with Sakura. Out of sight out of mind, as the saying goes.

Before Sakura can finish walking through the gates, the keeper stops her. "You're needed at the main house."

Her jaw drops open in shock. She had never been summoned to the main house before, not without Sasuke at least. _Maybe Mikoto wants me to assist with the cooking again. _

"Do I have time to stop at the apartment first to drop of the groceries?" She asks, not liking lugging the heavy shopping basket around, but not wanting to keep the prestigious members of the family waiting.

"I don't think so. It sounded rather urgent." The gatekeeper responds. With a nod of understanding, Sakura heads off to the residence of Sasuke's family.

* * *

Upon reaching main house, Sakura knocks on the front door.

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _

Her smooth knuckles rap on the smooth wood. With a creak, the door opens. She peaks her head into the house that had become so familiar to her over the past month, only to find it vacant.

"Hello?" She calls into the dark house. "Mikoto? Uchiha-sama?" Only silence fills the corridor. "The gatekeeper told me it was urgent." Gently, she sets the basket of groceries on the floor by the front door before moving further within the house.

_Were they suddenly called away?_

Once the thought crosses her mind, Sakura hears movement from within the main room of the house. Figuring that the inhabitant just couldn't hear her, she makes her way towards the sliding door.

She had only been in this particular room once before, it was the day after she had moved in with Sasuke. Fugaku and Mikoto had sat at the front of the large empty chamber while she and Sasuke had kneeled across from them, explaining the situation. Well, Sasuke explained the situation, Sakura mainly just sat there and nodded her head at certain points in his explanation. After the intimidation of meeting the heads of the Uchiha clan for the first time, Mikoto had given Sakura a hug, sympathizing with her situation. From then on, Sakura and Sasuke had started to join them once a week for a meal.

Not wanting to intrude on anything important, Sakura lightly knocked on the frame of the door.

"Enter." A masculine voice responds. Sakura does as instructed, pulling the door open and stepping into the room.

"Uchiha-sama?" She politely says when finding the room empty.

The room is dark despite it being the middle of the day. Large shadows decorate the paper walls. Just as before, no furniture adorns it except for the two small cushions on the ground meant for Fugaku and Mikoto.

Sakura glances around the room searching for the owner of the voice. At first, she believes the room to be empty, until she spies a pair of red eyes watching her from one of the darkened corners.

Instantly her heart stops its steady beating. Fugaku has never activated his Sharigan in front of her, and he certainly never had such a hungry expression in his eyes before.

"Itachi." The name leaves her mouth in little more than a whisper. She turns on her heel and begins to exit the room, but in the blink of an eye, he is standing behind her.

"It's been a while, Sa-ku-ra." His speaks in her ear, emphasizing each syllable in her name. He reaches over her shoulder and slides the door shut. Giving them privacy from the empty house.

Sakura spins so that she's facing him, fear evident on her face. Itachi watches her passively, the hand he used to shut the door comes down to clasp on her upper arm. Feeling threatened, the pinkette aims a jab at his ribcage, but Itachi isn't captain of the ANBU for nothing. He easily blocks her blow with his free hand before moving his other one up to rest on her shoulder.

"I wonder if you'll still be this hostile after I…" His words drop off as he lowers a strap of her tank top down.

"After you what?" Sakura asks, panic evident in her emerald eyes.

"Do this," he responds. His hand moves to her neck, fingers tracing the intertwining ink pattern. His cold fingers move slowly over her warm flesh eliciting goose bumps to break out all over her body. His touch is gentle and feather-light as he follows each of the vines curving over the majority of her neck. Finally, he reaches the base of her neck where the cherry blossom resides.

He takes the palm of his hand and places it flat on her pulse before brushing the pad of his thumb over the inked flower on the hollow of her throat. Sakura gasps at the touch when a shiver racks itself through her body before stilling completely.

* * *

One after another, he dodges the onslaught of punches from his attacker. Each move he makes, thought out and deliberate. His opponent had yet to cause a scratch on his body.

"Come on Naruto, I think you are losing your edge," he taunts. The blonde Kyuubi container scoffs before launching into another series of attacks. Again, Sasuke dodges each one cleanly.

He opens his mouth in order to make another cocky comment before he feels it; a twinge in his chest, as if a part of his heart stopped beating. The peculiar sensation causes the raven-haired Jounin to be momentarily distracted, allowing his teammate to land a powerful kick on his chest.

Sasuke flies backwards and hits a tree on the opposite side of the training field. Naruto, shocked that his sparring pattern had not even tried to stop his attack, rushes over to where the Uchiha landed.

"What the heck? Why didn't you block that?" Naruto asks as Sasuke shakily begins to stand up. Noticing the paleness of his face, the blonde instantly realizes that something is not right. "What's up? Do you have a concussion?"

Sasuke shakes his head in refutation as he begins exiting the training field.

"Where are you going? Sasuke?" The blonde calls after him.

"Something's wrong," is the only answer that he receives as his teammate runs away from the grassy clearing.

* * *

Eyes filled with confusion look up to meet onyx orbs. "What do you want from me?" The feminine voice chirps out. Itachi backs away to stand across the room.

"Would you please stand still?" He asks politely before pulling a kunai out of the pouch present at his hip.

In the darkened room, he watches as the girl holds her position still, as if she were a statue. Itachi eyes the sharp tip of the weapon in his hand admiring the gleam it makes in the dim lighting of the room, before throwing it directly at the girl in front of him.

It goes through the paper like wall just to the right of Sakura's head. Strands of pink drift to the ground as evidence of the close call.

"Now tell me, little blossom," The Uchiha heir begins as he walks towards her. "Why would you not attempt to dodge that kunai? It could have hit you and caused your death."

"I don't know," the girl responds sounding slightly robotic. "You asked me to stand still."

"But your life was in danger." He tells her almost condescendingly.

The pink haired girl doesn't respond, settling for staring at her sandal-clad feet instead. Itachi stalks forward until his chest is almost touching her forehead and lowers his face so that he can whisper the next words in her ear. His warm breath fanning over the shell of her ear.

"In that case, would you please get on your knees?"

* * *

**A/N: … Oh dear, I don't think Sakura's Itachi troubles will ever end. If you're confused, don't worry, hopefully some questions will be answered in the next chapter or two ;) **

***Jaw drops* 57 people have put this story on their alert list! Oh my goodness that's amazing! Though it kind of confuses me that at least 57 people are reading this yet I only end up with about 8 reviews each chapter. Can we change this please? I would love it if I could get over 50 reviews before I post my next chapter. **

**Okay, that's the goal 50+ reviews (That's really only 9 more.) **

**Thanks for reading! **


	12. Proposition

**A/N: So I was derping around in the "Preview Story" tab and ended up screwing up the order of my chapters and had to spend some time rearranging them. Talk about embarrassing. So if you got a bunch of emails from me saying that I posted a ton of chapters, I'm so sorry! Nothing is different from the way the story was before, only this chapter is new for right now. Again, I apologize if I confused anybody or got your hopes up about updating multiple chapters. **

**In other news, ****_Unhinged _****has reached 50 reviews! Yay! Goal achieved! So without further adieux here's the next chapter. :)**

* * *

**Unhinged**

Proposition

The yellow light of the midday sun illuminates the Hokage's office in all its glory. Stacks of paper litter the large desk as well as empty sake bottles and other matters of debris. Great distress passes over the office's new arrival upon walking in on the sight of her Hokage sleeping among the disarray.

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune reprimands as she sets Tonton down and begins organizing the horrors that bestowed the desk. "Come on, now's not the time for a nap! You're over a month behind in reviewing mission reports."

"Shizune, how about we _–hic-_ forget about those mission reports and hit the local casino? Just like old time, eh?" Tsunade responds her slurring speech, evidence to her drinking habits.

"Or, how about you finish reviewing the mission reports?" The brunette assistant replies, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.

Sighing in defeat, the first female Hokage shuffles through some of the scattered papers while Shizune begins to clear off the empty ceramic bottles.

Tsunade continues with her plight and makes progress with the jumbled mission reports, notifications, and the like, much to Shizune's relief, but occasionally lets out a grumble or moan as if to remind her assistant that she is not happy about the situation.

_What are you, a disgruntled teenager? _Shizune lets out a small chuckle at the thought. After all, even though Tsunade's a legendary Sannin in her 50's, Shizune's still stuck watching over her as if she's a child with too much freedom.

By the time that the yellow light from before shifts to the orangey color signaling the slowly fleeting sun, Tsunade had, for the most part, sobered up and dealt with the bulk of the papers.

"See what you can do when you put your mind –" A harsh shushing from the Hokage cuts off Shizune's train of thought.

The astonished assistant turns wide eyes to the blonde Sannin who currently holds a report in her hands.

"Did you just shush me?" Shizune asks disbelievingly.

"Sh!"

"Lady Tsunade that's not very-" She begins to scold but is interrupted again.

"Shizune, I'm trying to make an important decision here! I can't think when you continue to talk!" With the end of her tirade, honey eyes return to studying the paper as if they contained the meaning of life.

After a little bit longer of Shizune gaping at the earnest Hokage, Tsunade lifts her head. "Get me Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

To any observer, the young Uchiha appears to be the living depiction of the word calm, but on the inside he's a nervous wreck.

He searched everywhere he could think of and still he had yet to locate his pink-haired roommate. He had first checked their apartment only to find it empty, and the gatekeeper wasn't at his post meaning that Sasuke couldn't inquire as to whether or not Sakura had ever even returned to the compound.

Then he had spoken with the market vendors, who had informed him that Sakura had been there but left hours ago. After the searching of the surrounding cafes and training field had proven unsuccessful, the tightening in Sasuke's chest had increased greatly.

_I should have never let her out on her own. _

Sure she is perfectly capable of handling herself up against civilians or minor shinobi, she proved that throughout their multiple training sessions, but if it came down to going against a chuunin or higher, she probably wouldn't prevail. Her skills are just too rough.

Sasuke takes a deep breath in order to sooth his nerves. If it wasn't for the twinge in his chest, he wouldn't be as worried for the mysterious girl, but as a shinobi, he knows to always trust his instincts. Something was indeed wrong.

He picks up his pace as he continues down the familiar route back to the compound. Maybe she had returned while he was out searching the market.

The same scenery that he passes by multiple times a day becomes a blur in his speed, while the dirt from the path kicks up into a cloud behind him. The entire way, his brain thinks of all the different scenarios that could have unfolded. The majority of which only cause his stress to increase.

The large gates that outline the compound are in sight when his path is intercepted. In a puff of smoke, an ANBU officer with a mask resembling the face of a tiger appears in front of him.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He states in a flat tone. "You have been summoned by the Hokage, report to her office at once."

"I'm busy at the moment." The raven-haired Jounin replies in frustration before moving to sidestep the ANBU.

"It's urgent." The shinobi responds as he blocks Sasuke's path again.

"So is this," Sasuke clenches his hands into fists, but bypasses the other man. He only manages to get a couple of meters away before the masked man opens his mouth again.

"It concerns that girl that you saved."

Sasuke freezes mid-step. It had something to do with Sakura? Maybe that would explain why she's missing. Maybe Itachi took her into custody again. Maybe she made a run for it.

The instant he thinks of the situation he reprimands himself.

_Why would she run away_?

After all, things had been good between them, hadn't they? She seemed happy, but then again, appearances can be deceiving.

Sasuke turns towards the ANBU officer. "Let's go."

* * *

With a _thunk_ her knees hit the floor with enough force to bruise them. The sound echoes throughout the dark and empty room. Slender fingers trail behind her head and knot themselves in the soft petal locks.

None too gently, Itachi yanks her head up so that she is looking into his crimson eyes. Rather than be filled with the fear and loathing from only moments ago, her emerald orbs are calm and adoring, however they are clouded with confusion.

"How come you are being such an obedient little blossom?" He asks her out of sincere curiosity.

"I don't know. I just… feel safe with you." She adverts her eyes away from his prying orbs.

"You don't even know who I am, let alone who you are." Itachi states the fact calmly, but he notices the girl flinch at his words.

"Do… do you know who I am?" She asks slowly, hope giving her the courage to get the question out.

"Oh yes, who you are, what you've done, why you've done it." The Uchiha heir releases her hair, but moves behind her in order to lay his hands on her shoulders.

"Could you tell me? I- I trust you." She bows her head in a humbling gesture.

_Her obedience is appreciated; I would even go as far as to say I enjoy it. But, I need her aware. I need her to know what crimes she has committed and will execute. _Just thinking of the girls horrified facial expression about sends a shiver of anticipation through Itachi.

"That is your first mistake, my dear." Itachi moves his hand so that each one rests on one of the girl's temples. He leans down to whisper in her ear. "Never trust a murderer." He hears her quick intake of breath along with the rigid state her body had taken upon the revelation of the news. Her muscles tense and Itachi can't stop the smirk that forms on his face.

"Now, little cherry blossom, would you please remember everything." Green eyes glaze over black before a pained scream fills the room.

* * *

"I was rereading your mission report from the Fuyu case." The Hokage holds up the stapled papers as if to prove her point. "When I first read about Sakura defeating that Akatsuki member, I must admit I didn't believe it, so I observed your training sessions with her." As Tsunade speaks, Sasuke fidgets anxiously.

"She shows potential. With her excellent chakra control and weapon handling I've decided to make her a full-fledge shinobi." Sasuke's eyes widen at the words.

_Sakura a Konoha shinobi. Fully accepted into the village. That means that she'll be living here… forever._ His mind starts to wander off into dangerous territory again at the thought of living forever with his pink-haired roommate.

"She'll have to start out as a genin of course." Tsunade continues, ignoring Sasuke's slight reaction to her proposition. "You'll be her sensei and train her for the chuunin exams. I'll add her to team that's lacking a member on a closer date."

_I'll be her official sensei. Wait… me? A sensei? _The young Uchiha's thoughts are interrupted when the tightness in his chest reminds him of the predicament of the disappearance of said girl.

"Lady Tsunade, as honored as I am by this, I have a slight situation I need to deal with." The Hokage quirks a blonde brow in the air at this. This particular Uchiha, or any of them for that matter, was not known for his manners. For today though, she decides to let the matter slide.

"Very well, you're dismissed. Please inform Sakura of the news."

With that, Sasuke turns on his heel and practically bolts from the room.

* * *

Memories flash through her mind as if they are snapshots. One after another, pieces of her past flood in and fill the missing gaps. Sakura screams in horror as the macabre moments of her life are returned to her.

A child version of herself crying under a table as flames engulf her home.

The glare of fluorescent lights reflecting off the metallic surface of a needle. The piercing pain as said needle is pressed into the skin of her neck over and over again. The burning sensation left as an aftermath, causing her to cry out in pain.

_She moves her eyes up the reflection in the mirror, starting at her bare-blood covered feet. _

"It's finished, the mark has successfully been transferred to her body." Unconsciously, her arm reaches out and grabs the man's throat before ripping open his chest with a nearby scalpel.

_Next she notices the paper-thin hospital gown practically drowning her thin figure._

The pristine white room becomes painted in red as the blood from her first kill splatters onto the floor, the walls, the ceiling… everywhere.

_A single bloody handprint is distinguishable within the splattered bloodstains on her attire. _

Screams of a dying man ringing in her ears. In a desperate attempt to cling for life, he grabs a hold of her hospital gown.

_Her arms and legs look as if they consist only of skin and bones. _

"Doesn't it look…" That voice, so familiar, so sweet.

_Too thin. Unhealthy. Starving. _

"Beautiful." The word curls from his tongue. How she hated that voice.

_Around her neck, ink mares the pale skin._

No longer in the white room, she eyes the mass of bodies piled around her.

_Twisting vines._

All are bleeding, most are missing heads.

_Intertwining limbs. _

She trembles like a leaf and the weight in her hand drops to the floor with a resounding _clang_. She caused this. A hand that is meant to be comforting comes to rest on her shoulder.

_Folded black petals._

The sickening sweet voice is back, whispering in her ear. "You're my favorite."

_Disheveled hair framing the sunken in cheeks, pink at the roots, but a dark brown at the ends. _

She wants to cover her ears and scream in order to tune it out. "You did well." Don't say it. Please don't say it. "Ssssakura."

_Black eyes peer into her soul, abyss-like and empty. _

"-forget what you've done. Move onto the next clan."

_They were not the bright emerald she was used to. They were the eyes of a stranger._

"Would you please-" So much blood. Too much blood.

_And there, looming behind her was a figure shrouded in darkness, luminescent red eyes staring at her, swallowing her._

* * *

She doesn't lose consciousness unlike all the times before. Instead her eyes are wide open. How could she ever shut them again after seeing all that? In comparison, the dreams that haunted her all those nights seemed like petty children stories.

It's true, that ignorance is bliss. Now that she's illuminated the monsters of her past, how can she ever forget them again? They are forever engraved in her memory.

"Now that you remember everything," Itachi begins as he kneels in front of the wide-eyed girl. "I'm sure you're scared of me again."

"H-how could you?" She trembles at the memory of those red eyes. "I-I was j-just a child." Even though the memories now haunt her, she can't help the pull within her chest. What was this feeling he was coaxing from her? Security?

"If you remember clearly, I wasn't your sole offender, or your cruelest. Keep that in mind." Itachi snaps back at her accusation. "After all, you feel bonded with me. It's against your very being to hate me." The Uchiha replies smugly. He then flashes through a series of hand-signs before laying both of his hands flat against her neck.

The skin-to-skin contact makes Sakura's flesh burn. She tries to break free of his grip to reduce the pain, but it's no use. "I'm your permanent master now." Itachi removes a hand and pulls a kunai from his pouch. He holds it in front of her face so that Sakura can see herself.

In the distorted reflection she observes emerald eyes, but is startled by what she notices next. A plain, creamy white neck. Unmarred, untouched, uninked.

The mark, it was gone.

"Now, I believe this is yours." Itachi stalks over to one of the darkened corners of the room and emerges with long thin object.

Recognition flashes through Sakura's eyes when she sees the weapon. A dark sheath adorned in ruby cherry blossoms, a hilt crafted from pearl and ebony. She turns her head away, her newly restored memory reminding her of all the people she slayed with the esteemed katana. Men, woman, and children; each struck down, most decapitated, all by her hand.

Itachi lays the enclosed weapon on the ground in front of Sakura's knees. "I recovered it from the Fuyu's compound."

Sakura gulps, remembering the glistening blade beneath the casing. Flames reflected off of it's glistening surface. Blood drops trickling down it.

"Now that you have your weapon again, I have a favor to ask of you." As he says the words, all Sakura wants to do is spit in his face and run from the room, but she knows that she can't. What he said before was true, they were bonded with one another, imprinted, their destinies entwined… for better or for worse.

"Would you please-"

* * *

His feet practically fly over the dirt path. He had one goal in mind: the compound.

The tightening in his chest had spread to his stomach. It felt as if he had swallowed a hunk of lead, but he wasn't letting it affect his traveling abilities, for the gate was already in view. It had gotten late and the full moon was raised high above Konoha casting everything in its eerie glow.

The gates stood in their usual proud manner, looming and impressive. However, the gatekeeper was still nowhere in sight. _Odd_.

Sasuke performs the jutsu known only to the Uchiha clan causing the wrought iron doors to open with a loud _creak_. The moment his sandal-clad foot makes contact with the ground of the compound he knows something is up.

Silence. The compound is never silent.

His senses are set instantly on high alert and he takes to the rooftops.

Soundlessly stepping over the tiling and with Sharigan activated, Sasuke observes the empty street-ways below. _I should head towards the main house. _He keeps the possibility in mind that there could be a clan meeting going on, but doubt gnaws away at that conclusion.

Then he spots it, a hand reaching out from the doorway of one of the many houses lining the street. Cautiously, Sasuke hops down from his position on the roof and moves towards the inert limb.

While the darkness would conceal the rest of the disply for other people, with the Sharigan, every horrifying detail is visible for Sasuke to see.

The door to the house lies broken within, as if somebody had kicked it down. The room beyond it was not in any better state. The arm belongs to a woman, but Sasuke doesn't know whom due to the fact that the head is on the opposite side of the house. Two other bodies lay scattered across the room; a man and a child. The entire family was murdered, decapitation, members of a clan.

It was them, the clan killers. They had struck again and this time it was Sasuke's clan who was brutally massacred. The dread in his stomach turns to nausea and Sasuke exits the house only to throw up on the street. He retches until his stomach is empty of its contents, but continues to dry heave. Being a shinobi, he had seen plenty of dead bodies before, heck, he had been the cause of dead bodies before, but this was different.

His clan was dead, his family.

Sasuke freezes as realization dawns on him. No fire had been lit. At every scene of the clan killers the compounds had been set up in flames. There is still hope. Maybe they were still here. Maybe they had been stopped.

With a new sense of urgency, Sasuke rushes through the compound until he's at the door of the main house. It's still intact, giving Sasuke some hope.

He slowly turns the knob and walks into the entryway. In the corner of his eye he notices something. A basket, more specifically, the basket that Sakura had taken with her to the market that afternoon. Peering in, Sasuke immediately notices bright red tomatoes.

_Definitely Sakura. _

Walking on the balls of his feet in order to stay quiet, Sasuke moves further into the soundless house. Some creaking is heard towards the center of the structure.

He walks past empty rooms until coming to the large sliding door of the center room of the house. A small tear in one of the paper-like walls allows Sasuke to get a small view of the room. When a shadow moves pass the slit, Sasuke gets a kunai ready and pulls open the door.

The scene before him makes his blood run cold. There standing in the center of the room is the petite silhouette of Sakura, a katana in hand. Her head is bent down as she observes the motionless bodies at her feet. Their heads were still intact, but even if they weren't, Sasuke would be able to tell.

Sakura was looming over the lifeless forms of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha.

"Sakura! What have you done?" He yells in outrage. Slowly the pink-haired girl lifts her head, and moves into a beam of moonlight. The hair and body belonged to Sakura, but those eyes… those eyes belonged to devil himself. Black, cold, hard. When she opens her mouth, her response is curt and harsh.

"What I was created for."

* * *

**A/N: Well that was fun to write. Thanks for reading!**


	13. What's Yours is Mine

**Unhinged**

What's Yours Is Mine

"What you were… created for?" Sasuke responds slowly, not quite understanding her. Confusion and shock cause his brain to work slowly, not quite processing what is unfolding in front of him. Lost in his thoughts, he almost misses Sakura's nod.

_No. She's not Sakura… This is all some cruel genjustu. Those aren't her eyes. That's not my family's blood splattered on her. _

He shakes his head back and forth, as if trying to clear it of its contents. "I don't believe that." His usual cool façade broken by the tragedy before him, causing all of his emotions to be on display for anybody watching.

"You should believe it. It's happened. They're dead." She walks closer, dragging her katana behind her lazily. "I killed them," her eyes, black and dead.

Sasuke's stomach drops at those words and nausea washes over him. The smell of blood fills his nose and the silhouettes of his fallen family are visible in the dimly lit room.

"This isn't you!" he cries out imagining the sweet girl that shared an apartment with him for almost two months now. He knew she was caring and kind. She wouldn't even harm a fly. She loved his parents, his mother especially. Why would she kill them?

The pinkette who would wake up in the night screaming about nightmares she didn't understand, about black eyes watching her. The girl that snuggled into his embrace after being tortured by his brother. The fierce warrior that had protected them from Sasori's puppets. The first woman he had ever admitted to loving.

_It's a trick._

_It's not her._

_It's the person from her nightmares. _

_It's not her. _

_Please don't be her. _

"You never knew the real me!" She lashes out. "I didn't even know the real me," she adds in a much more hushed tone.

Emotions flicker over Sasuke's face like a series of pictures, confusion, sadness, disdain, before settling on one, betrayal. Pure and unadulterated hate. Directed at her.

"Why?" He spits out between clenched teeth.

"My master ordered me to." Her voice is hard, like a person who has witnessed enough cruelty in life to suck out any traces of hope instead of her usual melody of happiness.

_It's not her_

"Your master? Who would order you to do this?" He yells out in furious rage.

"I can't tell you that." That same cold monotone echoes throughout the room.

The door behind Sasuke slides open urging him to whip around in order to face the new arrival. However, the intruder walks straight past him in order to stand behind Sakura.

"Itachi?" Sasuke's brain is muddled by confusion. Itachi's still alive, then that means…

"It's okay, little blossom. Would you please tell him you obey me now." Sharigan eyes watch Sasuke while whispering into the katana wielder's ear.

With her eyes remaining the chilling dark hue, Sakura opens her mouth to speak. "I obey hi-"

"I heard what he said!" Sasuke cuts her off in fury. "What the hell did you do to her, Itachi?"

"You see, our little cherry blossom is not as innocent as she appears to be. In fact, she's a weapon of mass destruction." Itachi drags a hand up Sakura's arm, "Completely obedient to the one she's imprinted with, sharing a two way bond with them." His hand moves over her collarbone and traces the inked cherry blossom.

"Get your hands off of her!" Sasuke spits out.

Itachi rolls his eyes. "Would you please show my foolish little brother that you care for me." Though the first three words of the sentence imply a question, his tone states it as a command.

Sasuke watches as the woman he has come to love turns her head to the side so that she's facing Itachi. Feeling whatever's left of his heart breaking, he watches as her blood red lips meet Itachi's cruel ones. How could his brother do something like this? How could he order the destruction of the entire clan? Sure, Itachi acts like an asshole, but never could Sasuke ever imagine him ordering the massacre his family.

Acting on instinct, Sasuke charges at the couple, unable to handle any more mental abuse. Itachi breaks from the kiss and shoots a hand out to stop his brother's attack. He ruthlessly throws Sasuke to the ground, placing a jutsu on him to prevent any attempts to get up.

"I'll leave you two to talk," with that Itachi exits the room, the jutsu still strongly in place upon Sasuke.

The moment the door closes, Sakura drops the katana and with a _thud _falls to her knees. In any other circumstance, Sasuke would have attempted to spring up and help her to her feet, but all he could manage was a glare at the withered flower on the ground.

"Sakura, why?" The words barely come out as a whisper, but the accusatory tone makes the girl stiffen. "I loved you."

At this, the girl lifts her head to look at the kneeling boy. Sasuke's eyes widen when he notices the familiar viridian hue as well as the unshed tears. The emotionless depths of darkness were gone, replaced by hurt and confusion.

"Past tense?" Her voice breaks as the sorrow trickles its way into her throat. "I suppose it's for the best." A lone tear trails down her cheek. "I've done so many horrible things." The tears drops to the tatami mat below soon accompanied by more.

Sasuke is at a loss. He sees the crumpled girl on the ground, obviously stricken with grief, but the corpses of his parents and the blood stained katana are also in his line of sight.

_Her_ blood stained katana.

Confliction tears away at his insides.

"I don't understand." They are the only words that could possibly express his feelings. She seemed like a completely different person from the dark eyed stranger, but was she _his_ Sakura again?

The tears cease to run down her face and, after grabbing the fallen weapon, the girl rises to her feet.

"I must do what I'm told. I have to finish the job. I'm sor-" before she finishes the word, the last traces of the grief-stricken emeralds disappear into darkness, into shadows where only monsters are hidden.

The katana rises in the air, moonlight bouncing off of the glinting metal and as the last traces of liquid fall from pale cheeks, the weapon is harshly brought down.

* * *

Itachi stands outside of the city gates; he figured he still had another hour before anybody noticed something amiss within the compound, but he stays within the shadows anyways. The cool night air blows through his thin ANBU uniform, but it doesn't bother him.

His Sharigan eyes catch a petite figure walking out of the city. He watches as it comes to a stop in front of him.

By the moonlight, the green eyes appear bluish and the tears running down her cheeks are illuminated. The pale skin on her face is dotted with flecks of crimson.

"Now now blossom, no time for that. After all, you never truly loved him. It was just the bond making you feel that way, just like it's beckoning you to me now." His misty breath curls in the air and hits her face.

A shaking hand comes up to wipe the evidence of the night's events from her face. She turns the hand over and her jade eyes inspect the smeared crimson on her palm. With a strangled scream she falls to the ground and retches.

Itachi watches the scene unfold with an unamused look on his face. _She will get over it, just like she has gotten over the other murders. _

When the rosette finally rises and wipes her mouth on her sleeve, Itachi speaks.

"Now, would you please lead me to your creator." Green eyes glaze over.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my, any guesses as to whom "the creator" is? Hopefully the next chapter will be up by Wednesday, as well as the next chapter for ****_Apartment 7. _**

**Please review to let me know what you think! Even short ones make my day :)**


	14. Startling Discoveries

**Unhinged**

Startling Discoveries

An eerie wind blows through the small town as two strangers appear. An omen, some would say.

Superstitious or not, something about the new arrivals just didn't sit right with the locals.

The first of the two, a tall man with crimson eyes and a dark aura about him, clad in all black, always wraps a hand around the back of the neck of his companion. She was the strange one, the petite girl. She constantly walked forward, as if in a trance, but that wasn't the peculiar bit, it was her eyes. They were empty, so black that it appeared as if she simply didn't have any irises, just deep holes in the center of her corneas.

They were the type of people that you only allow yourself a quick glance at, in fear of what would happen if you were caught looking at them. Needless to say, the villagers kept their distance, in fact the second the chilling wind had started most made themselves scarce.

It wasn't until some time after the odd couple left that the locals emerged from their homes. Gossip started quickly.

Who were they? Why did they cause such a chilling atmosphere to take a hold of the environment?

The citizens once again found themselves in the search for shelter when a different group passes through the town, cream capes billowing behind them. This causes an entirely new question to form.

What had that strange pair done to be pursued by ANBU of the Leaf?

* * *

"Come back, my flower." The words are whispered into obedient ears.

Darkness fades to be replaced by bright emerald as Sakura returns back to her own mind.

It had been two days since Itachi had given her the initial order. For two days she had been a prisoner in her own mind. For two days all she could do was watch as her body took its own action.

"I've missed you." Itachi states from the other side of the fire. Once they had traveled far enough outside of the past town he had set up camp. "It's much more interesting to watch your expressions and reactions rather than that unconscious dazing that your other self does."

"You wouldn't have to deal with my 'dazing' if you stopped giving me orders." Sakura spits out harshly. "I know where the base is, I can travel on my own accord."

"That may be true, but I prefer your more resistant and obedient form while traveling. Keeps me from getting annoyed with your constant crying." At these words, Sakura glares hatefully at the man that currently holds her destiny in the palm of his hand as she wipes away the tears that run down her cheeks. "You know, for a mass murderer, you certainly are emotional."

Sakura's head snaps up at this, "I may have wielded the katana, but you were the one who gave the order. I have never killed willingly."

"Oh is that so? What about the doctor that gave you that nasty piece of work there." Itachi gestures to the pattern around her neck.

"That was different. I didn't know what I was doing." Sakura rises to her feet, her only strength coming from the anger boiling under her skin. "I felt like lava had just been injected in my veins. I couldn't think rationally."

"The beast within you had been awoken." Itachi stands as well and looms over the rosette. "Admit it, you loved spilling the blood of that helpless man." His cool tone remains emotionless.

"He was just under orders." She pauses as a fresh wave of tears run down her face. "He didn't deserve to die, just like your family didn't deserve to die."

"If your trying to make me regret my actions, it will not happen."

Sakura moves to the opposite side of the fire and sits down. "When you first saw me at the Fuyu compound, did you know who I was?"

"I had my suspicions. You were not quite so… colorful back at the lab."

"Side effects," Sakura states as explanation. "Why would you even help with the experiment to begin with?"

"_He _had the power I wanted and I had the ability to calm the minds of all you experiments." Sakura glares at the fact that Itachi grouped her with all of the others that had inhabited the base. "We came to an understanding."

She shudders at the memories of the Sharigan invading her mind when she was just a child, how he had made her enjoy the pain, how he had warped her thoughts until she confused up with down and vise versa.

"How long had you been plotting the death of your clan?" She asks, realizing just how many years ago that was.

"I don't think that is of any relevance. I saw an opportunity and I took it."

Eying the fire suspiciously, another question comes to Sakura's mind. "Why did you set up camp? The smoke of the fire is like a beacon to anybody pursuing us." Itachi doesn't respond, allowing the pinkette to come up with her own conclusion.

"That's it isn't it? You want them to catch up with us." She says accusingly. "You want to rub it in Sasuke's face how powerful you are now."

"Of course not. I simply want to show our pursuers how powerful _you _are."

* * *

The mechanical sound of a heart rate monitor is the first thing he hears.

_Beep_

_Beep_

His mouth feels as though he had been gargling sand, abrasive and dry.

_Beep_

_Beep_

The smell of antiseptic and bleach drifts to his nostrils.

_Beep _

_Beep_

As far as feeling goes, his body was numb, but his heart hurt as if somebody was squeezing it from the inside. The pain almost unbearable.

_Beep_

_Be-_

"Teme? Sasuke? Can you hear me?" That voice, so familiar. As his eyelids begin to slowly open, white fills his vision.

"Wa-ter." He states, his voice as cracked as it felt. A paper cup is thrust into his outstretched hand and Sasuke takes large gulps in attempt to ease the discomfort.

As his eyes focus, he looks around to find himself in a hospital bed, Naruto at his side.

"Naruto, my family?" To his despair, the blonde boy only shakes his head slowly. Sasuke's stomach drops, but crimson eyes with a swirling pinwheel come to memory. "Itachi?"

With a pained look, Naruto replies, "Grandma Tsunade sent out an ANBU squad after him. Only one returned." Sasuke's face remains impassive at this. "She wanted you to be present at the debriefing." After a long pause, Naruto adds, "you almost died, Sasuke. The blade just missed a vital point."

Why couldn't they have just killed him? Why leave him alive to be tormented by what had happened? Memories of that night flash through Sasuke's mind. The eerie quiet of the compound, the smell of blood and death, the sight of a petite, katana-wielding silhouette.

"She helped him."

Naruto is startled by his life-long friend's cold tone. "Sasuke, you don't know that." He tries to reassure, unable to imagine the betrayal he feels.

"Yes I do. She did this, Naruto. She murdered my entire family."

* * *

"Welcome back." A spectacled man tells the incoming pair. "He's waiting for you in his office."

Slowly, the two dark eyed people continue through the base until they come upon a large wooded door, Itachi activates his bloodline trait before pushing it open.

The stone room, illuminated by the warm glow of candles, is lined with shelves. Books and miscellaneous objects in glass cases occupy them and a large desk sits in the middle of the room. Itachi whispers for Sakura to return, causing the pink-haired girl to blink a couple of times before her eyes return to their brilliant green.

Said eyes flicker around and take in the surroundings before resting upon the man behind the desk. His long black hair rests flat against his pasty skin, while his mouth sits in a slight smirk. Snake-like eyes peer at her through slitted eyelids that are lined in purple. No matter how hard she would try to forget, Sakura would always remember the name of the despised man before her.

"Orochimaru." She states before finding herself slinking closer to Itachi. As much as she hated the Uchiha, she would choose him over the mad scientist any day. The pull of the bond causing her to seek him as a source of comfort.

"My lost little flower," his sickeningly sweet voice drifts to her ears. "How I've missed you." His s's come out harsh as if he possesses the tongue of a snake.

To Sakura's dismay, the snake man comes around his desk and moves towards her. She moves closer to Itachi who only nudges her forward, to her creator's outstretched arm. A pale, clammy hand touches the skin of her neck and Sakura doesn't even attempt to suppress the shudder that overcomes her.

"Now now love, you won't act like that for long, not once I restore the imprint." His hand moves her shirt collar only to reveal the unmarred porcelain skin of her neck. "What?" The Sanin yells out in outrage. He turns a piercing gaze to Itachi, who remains unaffected. "Where is the mark?"

"I will restore it once she does one more thing for me. It seems she's not as obedient as you made her out to be." Itachi glares at the, now trembling, pink-haired girl. "She did not complete one of my orders correctly." The snake man's face falters for a moment, but the Sharigan easy catches the slip.

"Something must have interfered. The mark has been active for years now and I have yet to experience a problem with it." He grabs Sakura's face with a strong hand in order to stare into her emerald eyes.

"In the meantime, it is to dangerous for me to stay near Konoha, I expect the refuge we spoke about before." Itachi says before prying Orochimaru's hand off of Sakura's cheeks, revealing finger shaped bruises on her skin.

"Of course, Kabuto will show you to your room." With that, the man returns to his seat at the desk, a troubling look crossing his face.

* * *

"She was helping him. In fact, she was the one that did all the work, he just sat on the sidelines ordering her around." The man in the hospital bed said while Ibiki sits next to him, scribbling down information on a scroll.

"What do you mean by ordering her around?" He asks, pausing his writing.

"That was the weird bit, when we first arrived, she looked sad and compliant, but once Itachi told her to attack us," the man pauses as if looking for the right words. "It was like a switch had been flipped, she was ruthless, and it might have just been the fire light playing tricks on me, but it looked like her eyes turned black."

Sasuke, who had been watching the interview through a large window, exhales loudly at this. He remembers those eyes, they were a stranger's, they were the ones that she used to complain about taunting her dreams and now they followed him in his own. Blank, deadly, and cruel.

"She was an adept killer, she was able to take out my entire team without getting anymore than a scratch." The man whispers, obviously disturbed by the fact.

"Can you think of anything else? Anything specific about what Itachi said?" Ibiki pries.

"It was strange, but I didn't think much of it. Itachi kept saying 'would you please' before her gave her an order."

Sasuke thinks back to the night of the massacre, he had noticed this about his brother's speech too. He figured that it had something to do with Sakura's obedience; after all, Sasuke had never heard his brother utter that phrase before.

The man in the bed continues speaking. "Right before she was about to kill me, Itachi said, 'would you please spare him.' After that, she had dropped the katana and started crying." This catches Sasuke's attention, she had seem repentant before as well. The man continues talking, but slowly as he chooses his words carefully. "It's difficult to say anything, but it was almost as if she didn't want any part in it. I think Uchiha might be controlling her some how."

Sasuke stops listening as he exits the room. He didn't know what to think anymore.

* * *

Once in the privacy of their temporary room, Sakura had scampered away from Itachi, worried about what would happen next.

"Don't bother getting comfortable," he says as he turns to her, Sharigan blazing with anger. "I know you disobeyed me." His voice remains as cool as ever in stark contrast to the emotion on his face. "I told you to end his pathetic life and you didn't."

_Slap._

Sakura nurses her, now stinging, cheek. She can feel the red handprint burning into her skin.

"I am your master. What I say goes." Itachi speaks in short sentences as if to emphasize his point. "You obey me."

"You may be my master, but you are not my love." Sakura lifts her hand proudly, not allowing any tears to fall.

A cruel smirk makes it way to Itachi's face. "I can change that."

He leans forward, his breath hot on her ear. Sakura feels his soft lips move against the sensitive flesh as he gives her the last order.

* * *

**A/N: **_Yes, I know, there was a little bit of cheesiness in this chapter. I'm ashamed, but I felt it was kind of necessary. Anyways, reviews are welcomed with open arms! :) _


	15. War Within

**A/N: **_Sorry this was so late guys, every time I would get ready to write this I either got distracted or wasn't in the right mood._

* * *

**Unhinged**

War Within

It's wrong, all wrong.

Returning should have been a happy occasion. In the past, more than once an unwanted surprised party had waited for him upon being released from the hospital.

His mother would ignore his annoyed glares and shove plates of his favorite foods in his arms. Naruto would attempt to woo one of his many female cousins, while Ino would drink a little too much and attempt to rekindle her and Sasuke's brief love affair.

While at the time Sasuke despised coming home to a slew of distant relatives he would now endure a hundred of his mother's parties to see her face again, anything just to have his family back.

However, what he had been praying was only a nightmare actually happened; his family had been slaughtered, his clan exterminated all at the hands of his love.

_The Fates are cruel_. He thinks to himself as he enters the empty apartment. He had never loved anybody, never felt a strong pull towards any particular woman, sure there was Hitomi, but in all honesty he never felt anything for her. She was just there, a passing figure on the road of life.

Sakura had been different. She was the person at the end of the road, the one he had been striving to reach, his motivation to keep moving through life; the pink beacon that he wished to protect, but not anymore.

He opened himself up to the thought of loving her, even thought that she returned his feelings. The one woman to whom he had offered his heart to and she ripped it up and stomped on the pieces.

He is still confused about the situation, not sure how he felt towards the blur of pink and green that invaded his life. When he first laid eyes on her, he believed her to be an angel, but now, he realizes she was more like a doll, somebody's marionette to control.

After witnessing the interview with the ANBU, it's no question that she was under Itachi's control, but it still hurt to the point that he can not determine which side of the thin line between love and hate he currently stood in with her. She had killed his family, she had obeyed and left with his brother, and here Sasuke was, alone in the apartment that they had shared for the few short months they had been together.

In frustration, Sasuke begins to pull at his hair, ignoring the pain from the healing wound on his side due to his overexertion. He drops to his knees, hitting the floor of the entryway with an audible _thud_ and lets out a cry of anguish that echoes off of the empty walls of his home.

_Alone._

People had already begun to label him as "the last Uchiha". As if Itachi did not even exist anymore, but the younger Uchiha knew all too well that he did. Every night in the hospital he would haunt Sasuke's dreams, his maniacal laughter as he slaughtered the people he loves over and over again, no longer just his relatives, but Naruto, Ino and Kakashi as well. At his side, Sakura always stood, smiling down at the pile of bodies and the pools of blood that she and Itachi created together. They would embrace each other as if they shared a love as old as time itself.

A loud growl from his stomach interrupts Sasuke's thoughts. He had eaten very little while in the hospital and his body is finally well enough to rebel against the prolonged fasting. Not bothering to remove his sandals, the Jounin rises to his feet and begins to make his way to the kitchen.

Once standing in front of the darkened room flashes of a petite figure moving throughout drift to his mind.

_"I should warn you that I don't remember where I learned to cook, so I can't promise whether it will be any good or not." A cheery voice chirps from in front of the stove. _

_The savory smell of soup cooking leads Sasuke over to where she stands with spoon in her hand. _

_"Don't worry, if you're bad at cooking I'll demote you to cleaning duty." He jokes as he leans his chin on her shoulder in order to get a better look at the food. _

_"Sasuke!" She laughs his name as she playfully hits the top of his head with the cooking instrument. _

The memory of the past is enough to deter Sasuke from entering the kitchen, instead he moves to the living room in search of a book to take his mind off things.

_As her pencil rolls over the sheet of paper, Sasuke casts little glances at her. She sits there turning the paper every so often, lead smeared on her chin. Sasuke inwardly chuckles at the look of determination on her face. _

_"What are you drawing?" He finally asks, his curiously getting the better of him. The pinkette, who had thought that her silent roommate had been lost in a book, starts at his words. _

_"I don't know if you can really call it drawing, it's more of just a doodle." She responds, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. _

_"You didn't answer my question." Sasuke states, noticing her attempt at avoiding answering. _

_"If you must know, I'm _attempting_ to draw you." The emphasis on the word 'attempting' shows her dissatisfaction with her efforts. _

_"Let me see." He responds smoothly. _

_Green eyes switch from the paper to the raven-haired shinobi then back again. "Eh, I don't know…" She drawls apprehensively. _

_"Please?" He asks again with a slight smile, knowing full well of her weakness for his charm. _

_Slowly, Sakura rotates the paper allowing Sasuke to get a glance at the sketch. It's rough, but not bad. He can clearly make out his facial features seriously eyeing the book in his hand; a slight smirk on his mouth completes the look. _

_"Not bad, where'd you learn to draw?" _

_"Fuyu-sama hired different tutors for me while I was staying with them, one of them taught me the basics." Sakura replies with a sad smile on her face as she turns the paper back around and begins working on it again. _

Forget the book, Sasuke just wanted the memories out of his head. It is too difficult to think of the cause of his parents murder as the sweet and cheerful person that she acted like with him.

Exasperated, Sasuke walks back to the bedroom, hoping for a deep, dreamless sleep, but it is the worst room yet.

The smell of her fills the room, feminine and slightly flowery. The closet is filled with her clothes and shoes, the imprint of her body remains in the unmade bed, and ghosts of memories fill the room. All Sasuke can manage is staring at the room where they had acted like a couple. Past that first kiss, nothing else sexual had happened between them, but it didn't need to.

He had shared late night discussions with her in that bed, he had comforted her from the horrors of her dreams, and he had held her until more peaceful sleep befell her. They were content with how they were, nothing physical needed to happen. They knew where they stood with one another and didn't want to mess it up. Perhaps if their relationship had continued it would have happened, but it didn't and it did nothing for his sanity to imagine what could have been.

Sasuke doesn't know how long he stood there staring at the tangled sheets and tossed pillows on the bed before he sensed a presence in the room, lingering in the windowsill to be exact.

He turns his head to the figure and, after seeing pink strands of hair peaking from beneath the dark cloak of the stranger, hesitates to attack. The intruder however wastes no time in tackling Sasuke to the ground. Upon impact his head hits the wooden floor hard enough to cause a bruise.

The movement caused the attacker's hood to become jostled, revealing a slightly pointed chin, plump cherry lips, a small nose, and two abyss-like eyes.

Sasuke becomes enraged at the sight. Those black eyes are a reminder that the Sakura he loved is no longer there, just the puppet and its manipulator. He flips their position so that he's the one pinning her to the ground.

The entire time Sasuke had been in the hospital, he evaluated all that had happened, trying to determine the working of Sakura's curse. After thinking back to the different actions that Itachi had taken, Sasuke figured out that Sakura's tattoo had some major role in this.

He doesn't know what exactly, there are too many gaps in his knowledge for that, but he knows that it does something important.

With his right hand firmly holding her shoulders down, Sasuke uses his left in order to untie the top of Sakura's cloak. Her constant struggling makes it difficult, but the Jounin finally is able to remove the material, revealing the creamy skin of her neck.

No black ink swirling around the skin.

No cherry blossom placed between her collarbones.

No mark.

Gone.

"Where is it?" He yells in frustration.

"Itachi made sure to get rid of it. He is a genius after all." Sakura deadpans out, her words daring him to react.

Grasping her by the neck with both hands, Sasuke pulls her head up and slams the side of her face into the ground. A large cut appears above her eyebrow as evidence of his anger and black eyes roll up as if fighting to stay conscious.

"I'm hurt Sasuke. I thought you were going to protect me for the rest of my life." The tone of her voice is so gentle that Sasuke could have sworn the real Sakura had returned to him. He hesitates for a moment, but one look in those darkened eyes helps him realize his mistake.

Using an immense amount of strength, Sakura jerks one of her arms free and elbows Sasuke in the cheek. The blow snaps his head to the side allowing Sakura to flip to her stomach and crawl away.

Recovering from the painful attack, Sasuke grabs her ankle and pulls her backwards. He grabs a kunai from a nearby table and pins her down again, this time with one hand securing both of hers over her head while the other presses the cool blade to her throat. His eyes fixate on the crimson drop that runs down her porcelain neck as his previous katana wound begins to throb in protest.

"What, no snarky remark?" He asks her before moving his gaze up to her face.

There, wide-eyed and waiting are the emerald eyes that he fell in love with. He suspiciously watches as a single tears rolls from the corner of her right eye to the bloodied floor below.

"S-Sakura?" Sasuke asks apprehensively, unsure if this is just another trick.

"Do it." Her voice breaks on the words, "Please."

Realizing that it's truly her, Sasuke releases her and begins to remove the blade only to be halted by Sakura. She pushes his armed hand closer to her neck.

"I killed them Sasuke, now it's your duty to kill me." Her face looks the same as when they first met, innocent. Even after everything she did, she still managed to look like an angel.

Sasuke steps off of her and throws the kunai to the ground with a loud _clang. _"I'm not going to do it." He turns away from her to look out the window at the full moon.

Once the words leave his mouth, a force barrels into him from behind knocking him to the ground. Startled and in pain, he looks up to see the dark-eyed Sakura has returned, an unsettling smile on her face.

"She's never fought back like that before," her usual blank tone is laced with contemplation. "But she did get you to drop your guard," she says as she wraps her hands around his throat and begins to crush his windpipe. "I usually prefer watching heads roll, but this will have to do."

Her grip strengthens by the second causing Sasuke's vision to blur. Before he can throw her off, her eyes flash green and her hold loosens.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore, Sasuke." The normal Sakura says as she shifts off of him and pulls her hair in frustration. She sits like that until something catches her eye. Slowly, she crawls over to Sasuke's abandoned kunai. She turns the weapon and nudges the handle into his hand.

_What the hell is happening? _Sasuke, who is now kneeling, thinks while securing his grip on the smooth metal. It is surprisingly warm in contrast to the chill that had settled over the room.

"Kill me." Her viridian eyes plead with him, her face showing complete and utter surrender. "Please, Sasuke. I have an order and this won't end unless one of us dies."

Sasuke considers the option. This is what he had wanted at the beginning of the night. Previously, he had been willing to kill this woman for what she had done to him. He had been ready to avenge his clan.

_She didn't choose to do that; she even said she never wanted to. _He considers before bringing the glinting metal closer to her already cut, pale throat. _She doesn't deserve this; it's not her fault. _

"It's Itachi's." He says out loud causing confusion to dance over Sakura's facial features.

"What?" She asks in disbelief.

"This isn't your fault. I won't feel any relief after killing you, just more pain." He chokes out, though he keeps the point of the kunai trained on her neck.

"It _is_ my fault." She speaks up while her eyes focus on the ground. "If I never existed none of this would have happened."

"This compound has seen enough meaningless slaughter." He lowers the weapon.

"Don't drop your guard, she could come back at any moment. She… I will try to kill you again and this time I could succeed." Sakura begins to panic and her hands start to shake uncontrollably.

"I don't believe that." Sasuke states, grabbing both of her hands in his own, the kunai lying next to his knees. "You have your own will Sakura. You can stop this." His hands move up her arms until they rest on her cheeks and wipe away some of the blood that settled on her eyebrow. He tilts her face up so that he can look into her green eyes. He wishes he could just drown in their deep emerald depths and forget all about the cold black eyes that killed his family. His heart tightens in his chest at the wondering look in them.

Sakura says as her hands snake up his back and rest on the front of his shoulders as if to push him away. "It doesn't work like that Sasuke, I don't even know how I'm-" Her voice cuts off as she pushes him backwards, his back hitting to the cold ground with a bruising force.

_Not again. _

* * *

**A/N: **_I realize some of you may be sitting there thinking, "why is Sasuke acting so weak?" You have to remember that psycho-Sakura is extremely strong and doesn't consider her own welfare when carrying out an order, also Sasuke's conflicted because he knows the _real_ Sakura is still in her body and he doesn't want to hurt her. _

_Thanks everybody for the constructive criticism and encouragement! Don't forget to leave a review! _


	16. Combustion

**A/N: **_I have a feeling that I've used the word "eyes" way too much in this story. Oh well, why stop the trend now? ;) _

* * *

**Unhinged**

Combustion

Eyes narrow in the darkened room making the displeasure of the owner more than obvious. The threatening aura being emitted causes the other man in the room to take notice.

Orochimaru moves a piece of black hair out from in front of his eye in order to scrutinize his current business partner more thoroughly. It is very unusual to be able to pick up on the Uchiha prodigy's emotions and the snake man wants to be sure it is truly happening before he says anything about it.

Realizing that there is indeed something off about the Sharigan-eyed man, Orochimaru speaks up. "You seem troubled. Is something the matter, Itachi?"

Itachi flash steps over to the Sannin, his glare even more intense, before wrapping a strong hand around his pale throat. "You said that she is completely obedient."

His voice is low and menacing, as the black commas in his eyes spin among the crimson pools as if anticipating being used.

"I never had a problem with her," he answers, voice not wavering in the slightest. "She would always execute her orders without the slightest hesitation. After the mark was no longer in affect is a different story."

His elliptical pupils turn up as if thinking of something. "She used to cry all the time, at one point there was even a suicide attempt. That's the main reason why I began ordering her to erase her memories after orders." He murmurs the last part to himself before looking back at Itachi, the corner of his mouth lifting up into a cruel smirk. "Though I suppose it came in handy this time."

"That doesn't explain why she hasn't been carrying out my orders correctly." Itachi growls while tightening his grip on the snake-man's neck.

"Well, I was the only master she had since the mark was first placed on her when she was twelve and before that she had lived in my labs since she was five." Orochimaru pauses for a moment to think something over. "It is very possible that her own emotions hold some sway to her behavior."

His smirk returns, "Though with all of the sealing jutsus and different chemicals running through her system, rebellion on her part would most likely cause…" His speech is interrupted when a cruel chuckle escapes his throat. "Combustion."

* * *

Back and forth.

Black and green. That is how their awkward spar kept moving. Sasuke had switched to using only defensive moves against Black Sakura. When the real Sakura would return to her body, Sasuke would attempt to talk her down while prying whatever weapon she managed to secure out of her grasp. She never stayed docile long enough for Sasuke to secure her so they continue to be stuck in this endless loop.

He feels whiplash settling over his emotions, as the change from black to green grows more rapid. It tires him out mentally and physically, his stack of unused defensive tactics growing smaller by the minute. Multiples times throughout the battle, Sasuke has had to stop himself from attacking out of rage. He is forced to constantly remind himself of Itachi's control over her, but her constant biting remarks were making it difficult.

Running out of steam, Sasuke falls prey to a particularly strong attack and finds himself, once again, pinned to the ground as empty eyes watch him. Previously, he had attempted to knock her out with the Sharigan, but she seemed to be immune to it, not reacting in the slightest.

This time, Sakura's weapon of choice is a leg off of a chair that had been broken in their struggle. When she swings down to bludgeon him over the head with it, Sasuke grabs the closet object and blocks the attack. Glancing at it, he realizes that it is Sakura's katana.

At one point during the battle, Black Sakura had retrieved it from beneath her discarded cloak and begun wielding it. At the time, Sasuke had managed to wrestle it out of her hands and thrown it across the room.

Smirking at the irony of the weapon that had murdered his clan saving his life, Sasuke presses back against the chair leg. He would not even attempt to deny that Black Sakura is extremely strong and tactful, causing her to be a difficult opponent, even more so since Sasuke is trying not to hurt her. She operates like a machine, blank expression, never tiring, superhuman strength, while Sasuke pulls out every trick in the book just to stay in the fight

Pushing with all his might, Sasuke manages to dislodge the chair leg from her hands but, ever prepared, Sakura produces a kunai from her hip and begins pushing back against the katana. Gaining little ground and growing tired, Sasuke finds himself peering up at her between the cross of the blades. His back still being pinned to the ground gives Sakura the upper hand.

As he continues to push the katana blade against the kunai, his exhausted muscles scream at him in rebellion, but he knows that he cannot give up.

Realizing that her opponent is weakening, Black Sakura shifts her face in between the blades so that their noses nearly touch.

"Getting tired, Sasuke?" She clucks her tongue and lets out an emotionless laugh. "I'll admit that this was fun, but your brother is an impatient man." She smiles a cruel smirk that is incomparable to the real Sakura's joyous expression.

"He has great plans for _us _once we return to him." Judging by her tone, the 'us' she refers to is both of Sakura's 'personalities'. Her tongue flits over her cracked lips, causing it to swipe over Sasuke's top lip. "I'm very excited to see what he has to offer."

At the words, Sasuke's blade slips slightly, causing the kunai to move down toward the handle of the katana. Though his face remains passive, Sasuke cannot help the feeling of betrayal that rests in the pit of his stomach.

_It's not her. _He reminds himself while assessing the situation. Things were not looking good for him. If he losses anymore ground, the kunai will slice into his hand and give her the advantage she needs to end him once and for all. The only choice he has now is to distract her so he can flip them and, hopefully, turn the odds in his favor.

_Then what, she was right earlier when she said this won't end until somebody's dead. _Sasuke stops his thoughts there, refusing to go down that road.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up." Sasuke retorts, hoping that this is his opportunity to turn the tides.

"What would your know," Sakura replies, moving even closer to his face as the tip of her kunai begins digging into one of Sasuke's knuckles. "As much as I've seen, I'd say that you couldn't even begin to compare to him." Her mouth sets into a grim line. "He's stronger than you, more powerful, more mature. He has the courage to make a drastic decision."

She pushes harder on the kunai and Sasuke bites his tongue to keep from yelling out in pain as he feels the pointed edge scrape against his bone. "You claim that you love Sakura, but yet you only had the courage to kiss her once. What kind of love is that?" Eying a bleeding scrape on his cheek, Sakura gives him another cruel smirk.

Slowly she sticks her tongue out and laps up the blood from his skin. Sasuke watches expressionlessly as the moist muscle moves over his cheek, cleaning it of the red stain. The softness is a devastating contrast to the biting metal on his hand and the harsh voice from her mouth.

This is his chance for a distraction and Sasuke takes it. Turning his head to the side, he crashes his lips against hers, and pushes his tongue, along with hers, into her mouth.

Sakura will have none of it though and begins to bite down on his lip, but it's too late. The moment Sasuke's lips had connected with hers; her guard dropped enough for him to gain the advantage. He was able to push both of their weapons out of the way and flip them over.

Bleeding heavily and beyond exhausted, Sasuke tries a new approach. He leans all of his weight on her and continues to kiss her. At the feel of Sakura's unforgiving teeth, he retracts his tongue, but continues to press his lips to hers. He keeps his eyes open in order to watch hers.

Currently, they are still black, but a shine is coming back to them. Honestly, Sasuke does not know why he continues kissing her, maybe because he knows he is out of options and could very well be joining his family once she regains her composure, but his lips are relentless as they move against hers. Slowly, he feels her mouth begin to respond to his as she moves her lips softly and deliberately. Shocked by her reaction, Sasuke looks into her eyes and notices the outer ring of her iris gradually lightening to green.

Not bothering to think about how cliché saving somebody with a kiss is, Sasuke gently deepens the kiss. He begins sucking on her bottom lip as he slowly caresses it with his tongue.

Her eyes, now a shinning viridian, slip shut as she moves her hands so that one rests in his hair while the other pulls his neck closer to her. Sasuke shifts so that his weight is now resting on his elbows, which are situated on either side of her head as Sakura pulls herself up slightly and intertwines one of her legs with his.

A soft moan escapes her throat causing both people to snap back to the reality of their situation. They break their lips apart, but stay close enough to feel each other's breath.

Sasuke takes in Sakura's appearance, her eyes are clear with no tears in sight and her pale pink hair is tousled from their scrimmage. Some cuts dot her face here and there, but not very many. Her lips are slightly parted as she pants to catch her breath, her body rising and allowing her soft breasts brush against his chest.

Her hand comes up to lightly touch the numerous scratches on his own face, and then moves to brush over the angry wound on his hand where she had stabbed him with the kunai. Finally she runs her hands over the multiple tears in his clothing, each one revealing a deep gash or dark bruise. She looks back up into his ebony eyes before speaking.

"I don't want to kill you." She says softly.

"Then don't." Sasuke replies, eying her nonchalantly.

"I won't." She says before leaning up to press their lips together again.

They only get a chance to barely brush when Sakura jerks back and begins screaming. Quickly, Sasuke moves so that he is sitting next to her crumpled form. She curls up into a ball and begins pulling at the flesh of her neck.

"Sakura!" Sasuke exclaims, disturbed by her sudden change. "What's wrong?"

"It burns!" She cries out, her fingernails digging into her collarbones, angry read scratches appearing on her skin. Sasuke grabs a hold of her hands in order to keep her from hurting herself anymore, but jerks away when he comes into contact with the skin of her throat.

Examining his hand, he's shocked to find an angry scorch mark from where Sakura's skin had burned him. Looking back at the pink-haired woman, Sasuke sees the outline of her tattoo appearing, but instead of black ink, it glows a pure white.

Sasuke gapes at the writhing girl, for once in his life without any clue of what to do.

* * *

**A/N: **_So I'm thinking of changing my penname, it won't be terribly different, but is there anybody who is absolutely against the idea? Just wondering. A one-shot AND this posted in one day, I'm on fire! _

_Please review, even a simple line of "I liked this" is nice to hear :) _


	17. Shattered Foundation

**A/N: **_And mysteries are revealed in this chapter. Yay! Feel free to PM me if you still don't understand some things. _

* * *

**Unhinged**

Shattered Foundation

"It hurts!" She cries out.

Sasuke is unable to do anything but cradle the trembling woman in his arms. After a minute of her thrashing around on the floor, he had pulled Sakura into his lap to give her what little comfort he could offer. So there they sat, on the floor, Sakura's back pressed to his chest, and her wrists in his hands, as he buries his nose in her soft pink locks that are now damp with sweat.

"I c-can't do this!" She stutters while trying to yank her wrists free, but Sasuke holds firm. After drawing blood from the sensitive skin of her neck with her blunt nails, he had secured her hands to prevent any further damage.

"I know," he whispers into her hair in attempt to sooth her. "Just hold on a little longer." Now that her eyes were back to normal, he had attempted to use the Sharigan to knock her out, but to no avail. She still seem to be immune to the affects of his bloodline trait.

Her neck continues to glow the eerie white and to be hot to the touch. The wound Sasuke had received earlier from when he accidently touched her neck begins to blister and his other injuries throb, but he ignores them realizing that Sakura is in far worse a condition than him.

The tormented girl pants heavily, gnashing her teeth together to combat the pain on her neck. It is the worst pain she could possibly imagine, as if somebody is relentlessly pressing an iron brand to her neck, one that shows no sign of cooling off. However, the screaming in her head is even worse.

**_"Look what you've done to us!"_** Black Sakura yells at her. **_"This is because you displeased master. You idiot! Now we are both going to die and it's all your fault!" _**

Not wanting to open her mouth, Sakura thinks back, _I'd rather us die than kill Sasuke! _

**_"Why sacrifice yourself for him?"_**She taunts. **_"Because he loves you? That boy doesn't care about you. We murdered his family and attempted to kill him as well. We left with his worst enemy."_**

Sakura doesn't want to believe her other personality, but realizes she has a point. Even though he had kissed her before, and even though he comforts her now, it does not mean that he still loves her. He just had wanted to restrain her, to prevent her from taking his life.

It was just the imprint that caused him to admit his feelings to her before. It wasn't _real _love caused by the heart, it was artificial, the result of the binding chakra coursing through her body. It was the same cruel reaction that caused her to feel safe and comfortable with Orochimaru and Itachi.

_It wasn't real then and now it never will be. _

**_"You can still kill him."_**Her inner-self practically purrs, excited at the prospect of fresh blood on her hands. **_"Then we can return to the other Uchiha. The one that radiates with power, the one with an unquenchable thirst for blood. Our master."_**Sakura tries to shake the thoughts, but with pain muddling her mind, she can't focus enough to block the voice out.

**_"Itachi is the one you love now. He's planted so many pleasant thoughts into our mind. All the promises of what's to be when we return with Sasuke's corpse."_**Images of Sasuke dead at her feet as Itachi smiles down in approval in the background, flash through her mind. The thought of Itachi caressing her bare skin, nibbling on her shoulder, and lapping up the blood that stains her body sends a chill through her.

_Why are you arguing with me now? Why are you so intent in going back to Itachi? _Sakura thinks to herself.

**_"Because you've never defied an order before!" _**If Black Sakura had been speaking aloud, she would have been damaging Sakura's eardrums with her persistent screaming. **_"Itachi is the one who controls us now. He touched the curse mark last. He said the words. You're the one acting abnormally. Of all times to grow a conscious, why now? Why not back while we were slaughtering the first family? Why not back when our hand was forced to kill that little boy you had grown to like so much?"_**

Sakura is unable to come up with a response to that. After all, Black Sakura is right, why now of all times? Why not speak up before and prevent all the unnecessary murders?

**_"Because you're selfish and weak."_**

The pain ebbs and the taunting voice of her other personality fades, leaving those last words echoing through Sakura's mind.

"No more." Sakura whispers to herself, cracking her eyelids open to reveal pure, untainted viridian.

Sasuke stares down at her with an expression somewhere between shock and apprehension. "Your mark." He says, a nod of his head gesturing to her neck.

There, on her pale skin, an exact replica of the cherry blossom and it's surrounding branches rest in the form of light pink scar tissue.

"Is it done?" Sasuke asks, voice barely a whisper.

"I think so." Sakura replies, still shaken by her conversation with her other self as well as the painful trauma she just endured. "Nothing is urging me to kill you." A humorless laugh escapes her throat before developing into a choked sob.

A look of relief passes over Sasuke's features at her words, but confusion still obviously lingers. Moving off of his lap, Sakura sits up so that she can face him head on. "I owe you an explanation."

Sasuke remains silent as if waiting.

"I don't know what you've already figured out, so I'm just going to say everything." She takes a calming breath before beginning her life's story. "My earliest memory is of when I was five. My house had caught on fire and I hid under a table as I heard the screams of my parents dying. A man named Orochimaru pulled me from the fire and took me back to his lair. Later when I asked him why he saved me he told me that he had been watching me and thought I was special."

Sakura snorts slightly in disbelief. "Looking back, I realize he was the one who started the fire." She shakes her head and continues. "I grew up in his domain, usually locked in a cell. He would always visit though, tell me how special I was, how I would be something great. I never knew what to say to him so I usually just quietly sat there."

Pausing for a moment, Sakura continues. "When I was twelve he came and got me from my cell, said he had a present for me. That's when I received the curse mark. It was a grueling and painful process; days of being constantly pricked with a needle and infused with sinister chakra that clouded my mind."

She shudders slightly at the thought and skips over the fact that Itachi assisted in the creation of the mark, figuring that Sasuke should not need to hear about how long his brother had been planning his family's death. "A side-affect of the chemicals and chakra turned my brown hair pink and my brown eyes green. After the procedure was complete I just felt angry and hateful, as if the only thing that could calm me down was to lash out. I murdered the 'doctor' that helped Orochimaru place the mark on me."

The memory of a dying man reaching out to grab her hospital gown in desperation and leaving a bloodied handprint on the white material floats to memory.

"My first kill was an innocent man who was roped into the organization against his will. I received a pat on the back for it, a whisper of how 'he deserved it'. After that Orochimaru made me undergo intense training to see how far the mark would go to appease him.

"The fundamentals of the mark were simple. The person to touch the cherry blossom became my master and if he ever said 'would you please' followed by an order, I would be forced to be a prisoner in my own body and go to any lengths to follow the order. But I was still in there. I still felt the pain when he asked me to stab myself, still felt the sadness when he ordered me to kill those clans, still felt the contact when he would congratulate me for a job well done." She looks up at Sasuke's wide eyes, begging him to understand. As much as she wants to cry, Sakura holds it in, feeling as if she doesn't deserve to cry after everything she caused.

"I would go to whatever limits to uphold the order that my master gave me, but his training caused me to become even more deadly. After the first clan massacre I didn't think I could do it anymore. I'd rather be dead than have to watch the horror on people's faces as I cut them down, hearing their begging and pleading cut off in an instant."

Sakura looks down at this, remembering the Uchiha massacre as well as the many other before it.

"After I tried to kill myself, Orochimaru ordered that I forget my past life and every order ever given to me unless told otherwise. That's why I could only remember living with the Fuyu and not killing them. That's why I was so confused as to who I was."

Sasuke looks up at her, trying to take the entire story in. It is a lot to swallow, an entire blood splattered past filled with torment and abuse.

"Sakura, you were forced to do those things." Sasuke finally says, "You even said that you couldn't handle it." He turns her face up to look at him. "It's not your fault."

"Sasuke," she stops him, when he begins to lean in towards her. "There's one more side-affect of the mark that you need to know about." She takes a deep breath, not knowing how he'll react. "When Itachi spoke of a two-way bond before he wasn't over exaggerating. When imprinted, you feel an intimacy with the other person."

She looks at Sasuke to gage his reaction, but his face is impassive.

"You never really loved me, Sasuke. It was a feeling forced on you by our 'bond'."

He remains silent for a moment.

"So everything between us was forced." He says it slowly, coming to terms with what truly happened.

"Not everything." Sakura rebukes, knowing that her own feelings for him are true. "That kiss after you told me you loved me, that was real. The time we spent together those are the most _real _memories that I have." _I love you. _

"You felt the same way towards this man Orochimaru and Itachi." It's not a question but a statement.

"I don't feel a pull towards either anymore," It is a hundred percent true. While before returning to Itachi sounded as if she were going to a safe haven, now she finds the idea repulsive. She shudders as the memory of the elder Uchiha brother touching her comes back to mind. His caress like sandpaper, his nibbles turning into painful bites, his mouth tasting of the blood of slaughter, his hold too tight as he forces her to accept him.

_I still feel for you though, Sasuke. All I want is for you to take me in your arms and kiss me. Tell me that everything's going to be okay. Tell me that you love me again. _

She could never voice these thoughts though, not after what she put him through.

_No, after what I did I don't deserve to even be near the Uchiha compound._

"I should leave." Sakura says as she stands and exits the bedroom, she forces herself to look straight ahead in attempt to block out memories the various of rooms of the small apartment brought to mind.

She is about to turn the front door handle when a gentle hand on her arm stops her. "Don't go." Sasuke whispers.

"It's better if I do, Sasuke." She refuses to glance back at him, worried by what she might see.

"Sakura." He says, his voice firm. "You have nowhere else to go." Slowly she turns back to look at him and immediately regrets it. His expression is unlike anything she could ever imagine to be displayed on his features. The only word to describe it would be… _lost. _

"I need to confess to the Hokage, I'll probably be imprisoned." She turns back around and opens the door before running through the darkened streets of Konoha towards Hokage tower.

_I'm sorry._

* * *

It is gone, completely gone; the small thread that bound his mind to hers is nonexistent now.

Angrily he gathers up the cloak that he stored a while ago and places it upon his body. It had been given to him years ago and now, he finally gets the chance to wear it. After placing the belled hat upon his head, Itachi exits Orochimaru's lair.

After only a couple hours of traveling, the Uchiha reaches his destination, a small hill right outside the Hidden Rain Village. A large figure turns upon sensing his presence.

"So you're finally ready to get serious about our organization." The blue-skinned shark-man says before lifting his giant sword to rest on his shoulder.

Itachi remains silent almost as if bored.

"Welcome to the Akatsuki."

With those words, two figures clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds set off on a path illuminated by the moonlight.

* * *

**A/N:** _And the name has been changed. I am officially no longer RavenxxMoon. If you really want to know the story behind my name and why I changed it you can check out my Livejournal._

_When I was writing the argument between Sakura and herself I got so confused I had to walk away and come back, hopefully I fixed it up enough that you guys understood it. ;)_

_Review and all that jazz. _


	18. Time Goes On

**A/N: **_Multiple time skips in this chapter. You've been warned!_

* * *

**Unhinged**

Time Goes On

Months after Sakura had left the Uchiha compound for the last time, she finds herself at one of the few refugee houses in Konoha. Since breaking the seal, life has not been the easiest. She constantly helps out around the estate to simply have something to do. Idle hands mean an idle mind and Sakura does not wish to explore the recesses of her mind any more than she is forced to at night.

This particular house is a mixture of an orphanage and boarding house for victims of war who have yet to get back on their feet. While the orphans and other children have grown to like her, the adults at the house, the majority being middle-aged widows, are less lenient. They still think of her as the clan killer even though Tsunade had deemed her innocent a week after she had turned herself in.

* * *

_She sits in a high backed metal chair similar to the one that she sat in while being interrogated by Itachi, though her ankles and wrists are not secured with those unforgiving chains. _

_Thinking back to all of the events that had taken place since then made Sakura realize just how much she had changed in the short amount of time since arriving in Konoha almost three short months ago. _

_Instead of being in a tiled white room with harsh florescent lighting like last time, the room she currently sits in is painted a calming green color with multiple windows cut into one wall. They create openness in the room and allow natural sunlight to be the source of illumination as well as filtering in fresh air that smells of rain and cut grass. _

_The beginning of April brought many rain showers in Konoha, not that Sakura minds. She finds comfort in the rain. The thought of something natural coming in to clean out the impurities of the environment eased her mind. She smiles lightly while glancing out the window as she eyes a group of children splashing around in puddles left behind by the previous storm. _

_She directs her attention in front of her when one of the two shinobi sitting across the wooden table clears their throat. _

_"Now, Miss…" The male voice trails off as if searching for something. _

_"Sakura, just Sakura. I don't know my last name." She says calmly, the hint of the smile from before still lingering on her face. _

_"Sakura, do you know what village you originate from?" The main interrogator, Ibiki, asks, his dark eyes seeming showing stress. _

_"No, I was too young when I was taken from it to remember." Her smile fades and the dark circles under her eyes become more apparent. _

_"Sakura, I don't know exactly what this is," The Hokage gestures to Sakura's scarred neck, "But I want you to be as honest as you can." _

_Sakura turns to the busty woman and nods her head respectfully. "All my memories came back when Itachi ordered me to remember. I'll tell you everything." _

_With a deep breath of the fresh air circulating through the room and one last glance out the window, Sakura confesses, ready to say goodbye to world if need be. "I am the clan killer, which I'm sure you already figured out. I was ordered by Orochimaru, under the influence of the curse mark." _

_After explaining more and answering some questions for technicality reasons, Sakura moves on to the topic of the mark. _

_"I believe that when I refused to kill Sasuke, the mark burned itself out and expelled the controlling chakra as well as the chemicals from my body. I no longer have a bond with Itachi Uchiha." As she finishes, green eyes look up at the lead interrogator and Hokage who remain silent in contemplation. _

_Pinching the bridge of her nose, the Hokage mumbles about the complexity of the situation and how she is in need of a drink. Ibiki writes some lines down on the clipboard in front of him before looking up at Sakura, the scars on his face adding to the intimidation his hulking figure already emits. _

_"You say you refused to kill Sasuke Uchiha," he states in a way that urges her to expand on the information. _

_"I never wanted to hurt anybody, Sasuke especially." Sakura states. _

_Looking into the sympathetic emerald eyes of the pink-haired girl, the Hokage pities her and takes a deep breath before coming to a conclusion. "Sakura, judging by your confession you were being controlled against your will and never intentionally harmed a member of Konoha. According to protocol, you will stay in a holding cell until a proper verdict in court can be reached. However, judging by the situation of this case, I guess that the trial will start and end in a week. Ibiki here will escort you to your cell."_

_"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Sakura says with a respectful bow before looking out the window to see the world one last time before her sentencing. _

* * *

Just as the Hokage said, a week later a shinobi came and freed her from the cell, stating that she was found as innocent for her crimes and will be staying in refugee house two until further notice.

Sakura was surprised to say the least; she had expected the death penalty. When asking her escort about the trial, he refused to give out any information, stating that it was confidential and all he could tell her was that she is now a citizen of Konoha.

To this day, now about four months since being found innocent, Sakura is still curious as to what swayed the court in her favor, but even after asking the Hokage herself during one of her weekly check-ups, Tsunade had refused to respond.

So here she is, living in Konoha as an outsider of society. A full investigation of the mark had been conducted, but Sakura's assumption must have been correct because nothing was found. However, while Sakura puts on a calm and peaceful façade, her mind is still restless, constantly reminding her of her past deeds.

Nights are the worse. Instead of her own black eyes taunting her, she sees the faces of every person she has ever murdered; Uchiha, Fuyu, Shimizu, and many more families whose bloodline had ended too quickly by her hand.

Even through the constant torment and narrowed gazes, Sakura keeps on living. Everyday she promises herself to be the best she can be, to be helpful and kind in order to make up for all the hatred and pain she has caused in the world. She doesn't deserve to end her life; she deserves to live with what she had done.

It is early in the morning, far too early to walk around the house, and Sakura lies in her bed forcing herself to keep her eyes open. Shutting her eyes would be surrendering to her body. Shutting her eyes would be allowing the monsters to come in.

Instead she distracts herself with the noises outside her open window. Despite the time, songbirds chirp cheerfully outside, singing their happy tune. Focusing on the noise, Sakura distracts herself from the nightmare that just overtook her.

It took place back when Sasuke had caused the curse mark to burn off. The kiss had brought her back to her body successfully, but in her own consciousness, she drives the kunai through Sasuke's neck killing him instantly. Itachi emerges from the shadows and kicks Sasuke's dead corpse before gathering Sakura into his arms.

_"You are mine… always. Don't forget that my little puppet." _

She had woken from the dream in a cold sweat, now here she lies.

After the sun fully rises, Sakura gets dressed in a high-collared shirt, wearing only clothing that covers the scar left behind by the mark since becoming a permanent resident of Konoha, and leaves her appointed room.

_The entryway needs cleaning, I think I'll go do that. _She makes her way to the cleaning storeroom and grabs a broom, before heading to the front door. As she sweeps up the dirt, children run to and fro only stopping to greet her with a quick "good morning", before racing off again.

She has just finished sweeping, when a knock on the door startles her. Hesitantly she answers the door.

"Hello?" She says while swinging it open. Upon seeing who it is, she freezes on the spot.

"Ah, Miss Sakura, you're just the person I was looking for." The familiar man greets with a smile.

"H-Hatake-san?"

* * *

Honey colored eyes look up from their paperwork in order to take in the appearance of the new arrival.

"How was the mission?" Tsunade asks the masked man.

"Successful, the crime lord has been assassinated." He replies, reaching up to remove the wolf-shaped mask.

"Well done, ANBU Officer Uchiha. Head over to the hospital for your post-mission examination." The Hokage looks back down at her stack of forms only to notice that the raven-haired man has yet to move.

"I have a request." Sasuke tells her.

"It's been half a year since you defended Sakura and caused the council to deem her innocent, if you're regretting the decision now, it is too late." Tsunade responds figuring that the pink-haired girl is somehow involved.

"It's not that, Lady Hokage." Sasuke replies, his eyes hardened from his tragic past. "I've placed most of the blame on Itachi for the murder of my clan and the rest on Orochimaru," the flinch the Hokage gives off at the mention of her fellow Sannin's name does not go unnoticed by the observant Uchiha, "Itachi is the one that deserves to be executed," The unspoken hint that Sasuke wants to deliver the killing blow himself hangs heavily in the air.

Since joining ANBU a week after Sakura left him, Sasuke had been scourging the shinobi nations in search of any information about the Akatsuki. Little had been found out, but the act of chasing after him is enough to put the younger Uchiha's mind at some form of ease.

"I'm actually here because I heard you asked Kakashi to train her." Sasuke did not actually hear the news, but after returning from his mission had seen them sparing together in the training field.

"She has skill, curse mark induced or not. I plan on making her a full fledged kunoichi." Tsunade looks up at Sasuke as if searching for any hint of malice. "He has been training her for two months and I have her enrolled in the next round of chuunin exams."

Before Tsunade can continue to ask whether or not Sasuke objects to the situation, he bursts out in his usual cool tone.

"I want to train her."

The Hokage literally has to snap her jaw, which had flown open at his words, shut. "I don't know if that's a good idea." She replies, recovering from her shock.

"I trained her before. I know her areas of strength and weakness, I also know what teaching methods she reacts to best."

Tsunade thinks it over. Ever since the incident, Sasuke had been working himself practically to death. He trained from the early hours of the morning to late at night. She doesn't doubt that he plans on taking on his brother; in fact he had made a point of letting everybody know of his intention to avenge his clan. The blonde Hokage worries about him, she is not sure how much more of this brutal schedule his body can take.

By training a student, he would be able to rest more. He would not be able to take on difficult missions with Sakura in the picture. After witnessing the way he had defended her in court, it does not take a genius to figure out that he has no ill will towards the pink-haired girl. Maybe giving them this time together would provide the closure the two needed. Coming to a decision, Tsunade nods her head at the Uchiha standing before her.

"After the exams you may ask her." She states, worried that the girl will react negatively to a change in instructors right before the exams.

Sasuke bows respectfully.

"I expect weekly progress reports and I will be speaking with her about her opinions during our personal meetings." Tsunade tells the now eager boy. "You may attend the exams, but you must wear your full ANBU armor."

Before the study of the curse mark had begun, Sakura and Tsunade had begun meeting together in which they discussed the girl's mental state, almost like therapy. After the investigation revealed that the mark is indeed dormant, they continued their sessions together anyways. In all honesty, Tsunade has grown attached to the pink-haired girl and finds a strange form of relaxation in their time together.

Those meetings however are not always happy. Having been able to learn the girl's innermost feelings, the Hokage had learned the guilt she feels towards the Uchiha, how she thinks they need to remain apart from each other in order to make up for what she did. Tsunade's curiosity rises at the thought of the pinkette's reaction to the Uchiha's request.

"You are dismissed, Uchiha." With those words, Sasuke exits Hokage tower, a new feeling lightening his heart.

* * *

**A/N: **_This chapter is meant mainly just to describe what had happened when Sakura confessed. Sorry if it's a bit tedious. _

_Review bitte! _


	19. New Beginnings

**A/N**: _Thank you everybody for your lovely reviews last chapter!_

* * *

**Unhinged**

New Beginnings

The crisp September air causes gooseflesh to break out over Sasuke's skin, but he ignores it as he makes his way to the far side of Konoha. The mid-day sun shines brightly, illuminating the busy bustle of the village.

Stifling a yawn, the sole Uchiha continues his trek. Last night for him had been long and grueling, one of those nights where no matter how much he tries, sleep simply just does not overcome him. His mind had been occupied with thoughts of one of Konoha's newest chuunin.

Sakura had past the exams with flying colors, practically carrying her substitute teammates through the Forest of Death, and then displaying magnificent power in the final duels. It seemed to help that the majority of her opponents knew who she was, having them nearly pissing themselves before the fight even began. During the exams, in which Sasuke remained by the Hokage's side, Tsunade predicted that Sakura could become a jounin in a year.

"Her talents are very promising indeed," she had said as if thinking to herself.

Soon enough, the Uchiha finds himself standing at the front door of refugee house number two. He raises his hand to knock on the wooden door, but stops himself.

Now that he stands on the porch of where Sakura is staying, Sasuke begins to have second thoughts.

After she had told him about the bond that's created with the imprint, he did not know what to think, he had felt lost and confused, doubting his feelings for her. With all of that and coping with his family's death, it had been one of the most difficult periods in his life.

After a half a year of attempting to ignore his feelings, he has come to a conclusion about the mysterious girl he picked up on that memorable mission.

He loves her.

_Really_ loves her, not some fake feeling stimulated by chakra. He wouldn't think of her non-stop if that is the case. He would not compare the color of each person's eyes to those distinct glistening pools of emerald. He would not think of her soft pink locks every time he sees the sun rising or setting, and he certainly would not imagine her easy going smile or soft limbs wrapped around him.

No, only real love can cause this obsession within his mind. He does not just want her; he _needs_ her in his life.

Mustering up his courage, Sasuke taps the door with his knuckles resulting in a clear knock. After waiting for a couple of seconds, he hears a lock click, and the door slowly creaks open.

"Hi there!" A little girl with light hair tied in a long braid greets him.

"Good afternoon." Sasuke tells her with a slight nod of his head. "Do you know a woman named Sakura?"

The child's eyes widen and she slowly nods. "You mean the pink-haired lady? My mommy says I'm not supposed to go near her." She responds quietly.

Sasuke feels a pang go through his chest at the girl's words. She is still considered an outsider, even after all her hard work to become an honorable kunoichi, people still look at her and see the clan killer. Knowing that the girl is too young to know better, Sasuke acts like she didn't add the last sentence and, albeit a bit more tensely, asks if she knows where Sakura is.

"Yeah! She plays with the other kids a lot in the back. Follow me!" She chirps before opening the door widely and letting Sasuke in. "I know my mommy says that I shouldn't go near her, but I can't help but think that she's really pretty, and all the other kids say she's really nice too! She looks sad sometimes though."

The girl leads Sasuke through the large house. They pass a wooden stairway to the upper level, a study-type room with multiple bookcases, and finally the kitchen, which smells of stew and contains a door that leads to the backyard of the property.

Before she opens the sliding glass door, the girl turns around to look at Sasuke. "Hey Mister Shinobi, can I tell you a secret?" She asks. Sasuke nods and the girl signals him to come lower to the ground. "She screams at night sometimes." Leaning closer to Sasuke, she cups a hand and whispers in his ears. "I think monsters bother her."

_You don't know how right you are, kid._ Sasuke thinks to himself, only imagining what types of nightmares Sakura has now that her memories are back. Before he can dwell on it, the girl pulls the sliding door opens and points in the distance.

"There's a sakura tree grove that way. They like to play out there."

"Thank you." Sasuke says before heading out the door towards where the girl had been pointing.

He admires the spaciousness of the yard. He walks upon neatly cut grass before reaching a patch where it is a little more grown out. He comes across multiple skeletons of sakura trees and can only imagine how beautiful the place would be in April when the blossoms are in full bloom. In the distance he hears the laughter of children and walks towards it.

"I gotcha!" Sasuke freezes at the familiar feminine voice. Quickly, he hides behind a tree trunk and peers at the scene before him.

Sakura swings a happy child in the air, before tickling her little arms. "That means you're 'it', Megumi!" Another child calls out.

Once Sakura sets Megumi back on the grassy ground, the other children scream in glee and run around in circles. Sasuke observes them for a little while longer, watching as Sakura pretends to run slowly so that a little boy that appears to be no older than five can tag her.

"Oh no!" She says with a bright smile on her face. "You got me!" She picks the child up and balances him on her hip. "Wanna help me go get the others."

"Yeah!" The boy squeals in delight, throwing a little fist in the air. Sasuke finds himself making a small smile at the way Sakura handles the kids. Suddenly, a little nudge to his leg causes him to look down. There, the little black-haired Megumi stands looking up at him with large green eyes that are just a shade darker than Sakura's.

"Who are you?" She asks in her loud little kid voice, drawing the attention of Sakura as well as other children around them.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke." He replies, slightly upset at the fact that he could no longer watch Sakura interact with the children.

"Uchiha…" The little girl trails off in thought. "Oh! I know you! Sakura talks about you sometimes!" Sasuke raises a brow at this, surprised by the new piece of information. Before he realizes it, the little girl has run towards Sakura who had begun to make her way over to him.

Sasuke steps out from behind the tree trunk and watches as Sakura's green eyes widen in shock. She sets down the boy in her arms and, eyes never leaving Sasuke's, addresses the children.

"How about you guys go get some lunch, I'll be there in a little bit." She says, urging the little ones inside.

Slowly, as if she is a startled animal that could bolt at any second, Sasuke steps towards her, one foot at a time.

"Congratulations on making chuunin," he begins, wringing his hands nervously. "All of the village elders were very impressed."

Eyes still wide, Sakura mutters a "thank you".

"I hope that you will continue to show such potential when I begin training you." Sasuke says, watching for her reaction.

"What?" She asks in disbelief.

"Tsunade herself approved." Sasuke says expressionlessly.

Before saying anything in response, Sakura drops to her knees and places her forehead down to the grassy ground. "Uchiha-san, as much as I appreciate you're offer, I cannot accept this. I have put you through enough as it is. I will speak with Tsunade to have her reconsider, please do not force yourself out of your hard earned status of ANBU for my sake."

Shocked at her humbling position, Sasuke kneels down next to the pink-haired girl and lifts her up by the shoulders. "Sakura, don't act so formal with me. I requested to become your sensei."

"I don't think-" the ANBU officer interrupts her protest as he speaks again.

"I would also like to offer you a place to stay," ignoring the shocked look on her face, he continues. "As an active shinobi, you will be needing to move out of the refugee house soon."

"Sasuke," She says before rising to her feet, earning a feeling of warmth to go through the Uchiha at the sound of his first name on her lips. "I can't go back there."

He waves her off, "I have a two bedroom apartment off of the compound."

"I can't do that Sasuke, I've interfered enough in your life already. I will not allow you to open your house up like this for me again."

"Sakura!" Sasuke says with more harshness in his voice, "I don't blame you for anything! You were being controlled for Kami's sake, so knock it off! Quit blaming yourself for something that you couldn't have prevented."

The girl flinches at his shouting, but Sasuke knows that she needs to listen to reason and his calm tone is not getting through to her.

"I can't just flip a switch and feel better about everything." She yells back. "It's not that easy, not when every time I close my eyes I see the faces of everybody I've hurt, your family included." Tears roll down her cheeks. "The look of betrayal on their faces right before I murdered them!"

Closing the remaining gap between them, Sasuke places both of his arms on her shoulders. "I know it's not that easy," he begins, his tone soft with understanding. "It will take time, but if you do it alone you'll end up tearing yourself apart." He wipes the few escaped tears with the back of his hand.

"You mean so much to me, Sakura. I did not fight the council for your freedom only to see you become a prisoner within yourself." At this, viridian eyes lock onto cool obsidian. "I let down my barriers and fell in love with you."

Her tone turns hard as she tries to contradict him, "I already told you that you only felt that way because of the imprint." _Please believe this lie, live your life without me. Revive your clan with somebody who hasn't broken your heart. _

"No, I feel this way because of you and you alone." Sasuke says, cupping her face with his hands. "You were sweet and caring and stubborn and beautiful. You still are all those things. You're you, not some mark." He gages her face for a reaction and is relieved to see a kindness hidden behind her bright irises. He pulls her into his chest and buries his nose in her hair, inhaling the scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla.

"I don't want to lose this," he whispers, tightening his hold on her before pulling back to rest his forehead on hers. His next words stir up memories of the last time they were in this position, back at the Uchiha compound when it was still full of life. "Come home with me."

* * *

After collecting her few possessions from her room, Sakura says goodbye to everybody at the house, promising that she will visit the children soon. The adults that know her past with the Uchiha are shocked, to say the least, upon hearing that she is leaving with him.

"I hear you call yourself Haruno now." Sasuke says as they make their way down the dirt path, ignoring the shocked gazes of other citizens.

"Yes," She responds softly. "Tsunade thought it would be a good beginning to my new life."

"It suits you," he tells her causing a blush to dye the tops of her cheeks. The rest of the walk towards the front of the village is traveled in silence until the two shinobi arrive at Sasuke's apartment.

"We're near the front gates of the village and the market is just one block that way," he gestures to the right before unlocking the door.

Still not quite sure how this arrangement came to be, Sakura timidly steps through the doorway before slipping off her shoes and examining the apartment. A large room that combines a kitchen and sitting room is the first space after the small entryway. To the right is a short corridor with a door on each side and a final one taking over the wall at the far end.

"To the right is your bedroom, the left is the bathroom, and the far door is my room." Sasuke says before taking her bag from the floor and walking down the hallway. He opens the door to Sakura's new room and sets her items on the small bed within. "It's not super spacious, but it works." He says before drawing the curtains allowing sunlight to spill in and revealing the view of Hokage Mountain.

Opening her mouth for the first time since leaving the house, Sakura lowers her head in humility. "Sasuke, thank you."

Seeming satisfied with her words, Sasuke exits the room to allow her to get settled. Sakura unties her pack and begins emptying its contents in the drawers of the small chest adjacent to the bed. Removing a high-collared, black dress from the bag, she opens up the closet doors in hopes of finding a few empty hangers. What she finds instead causes the dress to fall from her shocked hands.

Inside, hanging neatly, are all the clothes that Sasuke and she had purchased the first time they lived together, even her shoes line the floor. _He kept everything? _Falling to her knees, Sakura begins to sob, her tears a mixture of sad and happy.

_He already had everything ready for me, _she thinks. _He really doesn't blame me for anything. I don't deserve this treatment; he's too good to me. How could I have ever hurt this man?_

After composing herself and taking a shower, Sakura walks out into the kitchen to find a plate of steaming fried rice waiting for her and Sasuke standing at the sink, rinsing off of dishes. Without thinking, Sakura jumps into his arms, causing some water and suds to splash on them.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she murmurs into his chest, her arms latched securely around his neck. He doesn't say anything, but slowly wraps his arms around the girl in reassurance. After a couple of minutes, they pull away to look at each other.

Sasuke appears as if he's about to do something, but instead he awkwardly mentions that they would start training tomorrow, before walking back down the corridor and into his room. With a newfound smile on her face, Sakura gathers the plate and sits down on a barstool to eat.

This newly developed tension between them would take some getting used to, but maybe in time it could go away.

* * *

After night falls, Sakura settles into her bed, bewildered by the fact that the very same morning she had been convinced she would be at the refugee house for at least another month. Shutting her eyes, she quickly falls asleep.

_Streams of blood flow down the grassy hill into the crimson river below. Slowly, Sakura climbs the hill, desperate to find out what awaits her at the top. What she thought to be a small hill though, soon turns into a giant mountain. _

_She digs her nails into to slick grass and loses her footing a couple of times, causing sticky blood to coat her hands and clothing. After struggling for hours, she reaches the peak and finds a plateau covered in headless corpses. _

_The source of the blood is from the fleshy necks where the liquid practically waterfalls out of. With the hiss of a snake and a caw of a crow the two men she despises most appear in front of her. _

_Orochimaru and Itachi stand in between Sakura and the bodies, and a new surge of fear wells up inside of her. She takes a small step back, only to find herself at the edge of the cliff that she had just climbed. _

_"You were alwaysss my favorite." Orochimaru says, laying a pasty hand on her shoulder. "So blood-thirsssty, so obedient." Her nightmare emphasizes his snake-like voice. _

_Itachi places a hand on her other shoulder. "I will return for you. You _will _finish the job."_

_With their words said, both men apply pressure to her shoulders until she is pushed off the edge of the cliff. As she falls, she screams, begging for somebody to reach out and grab her. But instead of being saved, Sakura plunges into the river of blood below. Her still open mouth fills with the thick, metallic fluid. Her lungs scream in protest at the lack of oxygen. She closes her eyes accepting her fate as the-_

"Sakura! Sakura, wake up!" Her eyes fly open at the sound of her name. "Thank goodness," Sasuke says before sitting on the side of the bed and placing his head in his hands. "You were screaming and wouldn't wake up." 

"Sas-Sasuke?" She says, her voice dry. Taking in his appearance, she notices his t-shirt is damp with sweat and his spikey hair hangs limply around his face. "You had a nightmare too, didn't you?"

His silhouette stiffens in the darkness, but he slowly turns to look at Sakura. His weary eyes betray all the emotions raging within him, fear, pain, sadness, guilt, and… anger? "I will kill him, Sakura. I will hunt him down and avenge my clan as well as you. Then, we'll both be able to sleep peacefully."

Sakura eyes widen at the realization of his determination. "S-Sasuke…" She trails off as he pulls her towards his chest.

"I'm not strong enough yet, but I'll get there." He says into her neck made rough from the scarring, "I will find Itachi and I will kill him."

* * *

**A/N: **_Whoa, another update so soon? I'm starting to feel the pressure and am thinking I might not achieve my goal of finishing this story before my summer break is over, so it's officially crunch time, yay!_

_I recently heard the song "__**Shattered**__" by Trading Yesterday (MTT Version) and I think that it's a good theme song for this story, so I'd recommend checking it out! ;) _

_Review por favor!_


	20. Catalyst

**A/N: **_100 reviews, guys! Thanks so much!_

* * *

**Unhinged**

Catalyst

Two years.

That is how long it has been since Sakura and Sasuke had first met in the fiery ruins of the Fuyu compound. Two years full of pain and trials, laughter and joy, good and bad.

After moving in with Sasuke, Sakura's training had become even more rigorous. The second they stepped onto the training field, all personal feeling were thrown aside. He proved to be an unforgiving teacher, working her to the bone and making sure she had each skill mastered.

Once they were off the field though, Sasuke would gently help her wrap her wounds. He would help stretch her sore muscles and even proved to be quite the masseur. Sakura had kept visiting the refugee house and helping out with the children, Sasuke would even accompany her sometimes, claiming that he loved seeing her "that way". Whatever _that_ means.

Once achieving jounin status, Sakura's training had been taken over by Tsunade, who had taken her on as an apprentice and begun training Sakura in the ways of medical ninjutsu. This allowed Sasuke to take on ANBU missions again, but their living arrangements kept Sakura and him from feeling deprived of the other's company.

Speaking of living arrangements, upon learning of them, the Hokage had not been too happy. They were, after all, student and teacher.

"She helps with the rent and it is a two bedroom apartment." Sasuke had said, omitting the fact that when it came to sleeping only one bedroom went to use. After that first night, Sasuke and Sakura had fallen back into the habit of sharing a bed. Now though, Sakura took part in comforting her bedmate, both shinobi's sleep being haunted with nightmares of the past.

Moments had passed between the two, usually during particularly difficult missions when the possibility of death became a very real thing. These moments helped both of them to realize just how real their feelings for each other are. Though neither really spoke of their love for one another anymore, observers could tell that the two had a very special bond. It was the way that they would walk down the street with their shoulders brushing, or the when they would greet each other with a genuine smile, even how they spoke of one another with the upmost respect.

Sakura had become friends with the rest of team seven as well, joining Naruto for lunch at Ichiraku's multiple times, and going on shopping trips with Ino. The blonde kunoichi had come to Sakura and explained her role with Itachi, hoping to mend things between them.

It had been during the celebration of Sakura's 20th birthday. She had not really known her birthday so she choose a date for herself, March 28th, the day the curse mark burned off, the day she became free.

After going to a nice restaurant, Sakura and the rest of team seven had gone to a bar. There, Ino pulled her aside.

"Sakura, I want to apologize for assisting Itachi, even though I wasn't very efficient at it." The blonde girl pauses and anxiously plays with a piece of long blonde hair. "I still helped that bastard and I want to start fresh with you."

"Thank you, Ino." Sakura responded, "I would like that."

After that, the two kunoichi had grown to be very close with one another, telling each other practically everything.

* * *

As of now, life in Konoha is practically perfect. The nightmares for the most part have settled down and Sakura has developed lasting ties to important people in her life. For the first time since Orochimaru had abducted her, she belongs somewhere. It is as if this life was always meant to be.

Currently, Sakura walks down Konoha's main street while donning the signature green flak jacket of an on-duty shinobi. Having just finished a weeklong escort mission, she must meet up with the Hokage to report its success.

"Sakura!" Hearing her name, the pinkette turns to find Sasuke jogging up to her, his ANBU armor revealing that he too has just returned from a mission. Having not seen her roommate, and now best friend, in awhile, Sakura wraps her toned arms around him in a tight hug.

"Are you heading to Hokage Tower?" Sasuke asks while pulling away.

When Sakura nods, he offers her his arm, which she gladly accepts. They walk down the street like that continuing on their way, the sun shining brightly above them.

"Does gyudon sound good for dinner tonight? I don't feel like making anything too elaborate, that mission took a lot out of me." Sakura asks knowing full well that Sasuke has a weak spot for this particular meal.

"Sounds perfect, do we have pickled ginger?" he responds.

"Yeah, I just picked some up before I left. Did you drink all the sake?" She says, casting a suspicious gaze at the Uchiha.

"Of course not." He replies with a smirk.

They carry on with their mundane chatter before reaching the Hokage's office where their standard mission debriefings take place. After explaining the gist of their missions, the Hokage begins the usual questions for technicality reasons.

"Were their any hitches on your mission, Officer Uchiha?" she asks.

"Other than the fact that there were more guards than we had originally anticipated, no. The mission went off without a hitch. Kiba received a small kunai wound, but-"

Sasuke is cut off when a man bursts through the door. He has blood dripping down his face from a gash in his head and he cradles his left arm, which appears broken.

"Lady Tsunade! The Akatsuki attacked a small village a couple miles outside the village! Itachi was spotted among two other members."

Both Sasuke and Sakura visibly tense at the mention of the only other Uchiha's name. Sakura's eyes widen at the thought of facing that man again after all this time. However, she snaps back into motion and begins to heal the injured man's wounds.

Sasuke slams a hand on Tsunade's desk. "Send me, Lady Hokage," he says, his usual composure breaking. "My mission was simple and I am well rested." He reasons, but the Hokage's face betrays her refusal. "I've been waiting for over a year for this opportunity. Please, Tsunade." Sasuke's expression reveals all the pain that still lingers there and the need for this form of closure.

"No," honey eyes warily watch the riled up ANBU officer. "You are too emotionally attached to this situation and it could affect your judgment. I'm sending Kakashi, Guy, and Yamato."

Sasuke straightens his frame slowly, before turning around and exiting the office. Sakura wants to follow him right away, but has to finish healing the man first. Once finishing she bolts out of the office and sprints home.

* * *

Storming through the apartment, Sakura immediately rushes down the hallway to Sasuke's door. She knocks on the wood and receives no response.

"Sasuke?"

…

Leaning against the door, she speaks again, "Sasuke, don't shut me out. We're in this together."

More silence answers her, but a pulse of his chakra signals that he is indeed behind the door. Realizing that she will not be able to get any more of a reaction out of him, Sakura turns from the door and begins preparing dinner. The activity will help to distract her from the news that they had just learned.

Once the beef mixture is ready, Sakura pours it over some freshly cooked and walks back down the corridor. Still sensing his chakra from within, Sakura knocks lightly.

"Sasuke, dinner's ready." When he still does not respond, Sakura kneels down to set the bowl on the ground in front of the door.

"I'll be out in a minute." With a slight victorious smile, Sakura gathers the food up and takes it to the kitchen table.

Dinner is eaten in silence, and not the comfortable kind that they had grown used to with each other. No, this silence hung think in the air, laced with tension and threatening to suffocate both inhabitants. They mainly just glared at their food and scooted it around their plates rather than really eating it. After twenty minutes of this, Sasuke sets down his fork and breaks the silence.

"I'm going after him." Sakura lets out the breath that she had been holding in. She knew this was coming and she already prepared her response.

"I'm coming with you." She says, standing from her spot.

"No," Sasuke replies firmly. "I'm not going to let you. He's too strong and he could trap you in the Tsukuyomi."

"If he's so strong then you shouldn't be going alone, Sasuke. I'm a jounin now and I have medical training." She matches his tone with just as much expression. "Besides, you know that the Sharigan doesn't work on me anymore."

Sasuke is at a loss for words. In the time that he had grown close to Sakura, he had learned how stubborn the kunoichi can be. If she has her heart set on something, she will not let anything get in her way.

Letting out a sigh of frustration Sasuke moves over to Sakura. Grabbing her shoulders he looks into her viridian eyes. "You must do exactly as I say," he begins. "Stay at least twenty feet away from Itachi at all times. No exceptions." Then he pulls her into a strong hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I can't lose you too."

They only stay like that for a moment, taking in each other's presence, before gathering up their weapons and putting on their armor. Once they are prepared, Sasuke gives Sakura a quick nod and the two shinobi set off into the night, fully aware of the possibility of never returning.

* * *

"You've all been briefed, be prepared to move out in a half an hour." Tsunade tells the three men standing before her.

"What was Sasuke's reaction to all of this?" Kakashi asks, knowing his former student's determination to kill his brother.

"He wanted me to send him, but when I refused he just left."

Kakashi grows concerned upon hearing this. "That worries me."

"Uchiha is an ANBU officer; he may have strong ties to this, but he knows his place." The Hokage states.

Though still apprehensive about the whole situation, Kakashi bows respectfully and takes his leave. _Sasuke, please don't do anything you'll regret. _

* * *

With chakra suppressed, the shinobi jump from tree branch to tree branch, gradually nearing the ruins of the town attacked by the Akatsuki. Fueled by rage and the lust for revenge, Sasuke and Sakura arrive at their destination in record time.

About a mile away from the ruble, a ditch filled with large boulders provides the perfect hideout for any lurking enemies. Sakura cannot sense the chakra of anybody, but realizes that the criminals would be masters at masking it. Before drawing too near to the suspicious site, Sasuke holds his hand out to signal Sakura to stop.

"I'm going to go down there and investigate, cover me from here," he whispers before turning to jump down.

"Sasuke," Sakura stops him with a gentle hand on his arm. Despite the time of year, the night is cold and her words appear in a puff of steam. "Please be careful," her eyes plead with him to not take any risks. She would not be able to cope if he leaves her.

Covering her hand with his own, Sasuke gives it a reassuring squeeze, his own eyes showing his love for her. "It'll all be over soon." With that she releases him and watches as he silently jumps from the tree, moving towards the ditch.

Sticking in the shadows, he slips into the crack in the earth and leans behind a boulder. Making eye contact with her one last time, he slips around the rock and begins creeping towards the far side of the surface.

When he freezes suddenly and draws a kunai, Sakura does the same, realizing that he must see something with his bloodline trait. Looking closer, Sakura spies a black coat with red clouds decorating it. The owner, appearing to be sleeping, leans against a rock adjacent to Sasuke's position.

The figure's dark hair blow slightly in the wind. _Itachi, _Sakura realizes before thinking that this is all too easy. _He's smarter than this. He wouldn't remain out in the open like this, not unless he had a partner guarding him. _

Sasuke seems to suspect something too, because he begins travelling the long way around in order to sneak behind the seemingly sleeping figure. He moves with the grace of a shadow, never even upturning one of the many pebbles littering the ground. _He's truly grown incredibly strong. _

"Long time no see, little cherry blossom." Sakura's blood runs cold when the voice whispers in her ear from behind.

How did he get so close without her sensing anything? And more importantly, who's Sasuke currently sneaking up on?

"Itachi," she breathes.

"I'm glad you remember me." He says as Sakura turns around to look at him, her green eyes filled with fear. "I need you to do something."

* * *

**A/N**: _Unhinged is coming to an end soon. Thanks for sticking with me everybody and please leave a review _


	21. What's Done Is Done

**A/N: **_Only one more chapter after this one! _

* * *

**Unhinged**

What's Done Is Done

"Yamato, how far away from the site are we?" Kakashi asks as the squad of three men dart through the trees.

"We are about fifteen minutes away from where the Akatsuki were first spotted, but by now they are probably at a different location." Yamato replies while dodging a low branch.

_Good, we'll be there soon. Then maybe we can end this madness once and for all, _Kakashi thinks. After learning of Sakura's mark and her ties with Orochimaru, he had been confused just like everybody else but he mainly felt pity for the girl. Having been forced into a life full of anguish and pain and now living with what happened against her will for the rest of her days, it does not sit right with the grey-haired nin.

When the Hokage had mentioned making her a kunoichi, Kakashi had been the first one to step up and volunteer to take her on as a student. He always had strong ties with Sasuke, having trained him since he was fresh out of the academy. It somehow felt right that he should form the same type of bond with somebody who had affected them all so much.

After becoming Sakura's mentor and, more importantly, her friend, Kakashi learned what a kind and caring person she can be. Though she does have a temper that can get the better of her sometimes, Sakura is a genuine and true person. The fact that she has adapted to the village and has already become a jounin, makes her former teacher glow with pride.

Knowing his previous students makes Kakashi uneasy about the whole situation. He cannot imagine them sitting at home twiddling their thumbs while the man that practically ruined their lives is so near, especially Sasuke. The Uchiha is not one to sit back while others do his dirty work. His unhealthy obsession with Itachi had begun to wear away at his mental state little by little and this could just be the action to finally cause Sasuke to snap.

_I'll take out Itachi so that you two can rest easy,_ Kakashi mentally promises them.

An explosion in the distance puts the three ninja on high alert.

"Everybody, heads towards that explosion. Quickly!" Kakashi orders.

On the site, his fears are made a reality.

In a rocky ditch surrounded by trees burning with black fire, lies an unconscious Sakura in the arms of a frantic Sasuke.

"Shit! Sakura, stay with me!" He orders her, his Sharigan spinning wildly in panic. "Sakura, don't you dare die on me. We're in this together just like you said."

Kakashi rushes towards his former students and realizes just how bad of a shape they're in. Sasuke has a kunai stabbed through his leg and is losing blood rapidly with the many other wounds scattered over his body. Sakura's lifeless body has burns in multiple places and pieces of her pink hair are singed black.

"Sasuke, let me take her," Kakashi orders the ANBU. Before Sasuke can even attempt to move, he falls limp overtop of Sakura.

* * *

Slowly, dry eyes begin to open, but quickly close in opposition of the harsh light surrounding them. He is not ready to face what had happened, the harsh reality of his failure.

After sensing another presence in the tree with Sakura, Sasuke had immediately darted back towards her.

"Would you please come closer?" he hears Itachi ask Sakura. Not a second after, Sakura jumps from the tree and runs towards Sasuke.

"So I guess you really have broken the seal. It was worth an attempt though." Itachi says as he also exits the covering of the tree.

Standing next to each other, both Sasuke and Sakura crouch down into defensive positions.

"That doesn't change the fact that you are no match for me." The voice comes from behind them, causing Sakura to spin in confusion.

The Itachi that had been leaning on the boulder steps in front of them. "You're both foolish." The Itachi from the tree says as he flash steps so that he's standing next to Sasuke.

Both Itachis begin to grapple with their respective opponent. The one from the tree taking on Sasuke, while the one from the rock attacks Sakura.

Too focused on his own fight, Sasuke is unable to pay attention to how Sakura is doing, though the sounds of her battle drift to his ears. Judging by the grunts and clash of weapons, she's holding her own against her Itachi, but it is only amount of time before either her or Sasuke slip up.

Sasuke begins raining shuriken down on his Itachi and manage to turn their position enough to put Sakura in view. While throwing shuriken, Sasuke watches as Sakura's Itachi manages to land a cut on her cheek. In the process the cloned nin opens himself up to her. The green-eyed jounin takes advantage of the situation and lands a fierce jab with a kunai to his chest.

Sasuke is about to mentally congratulate her, when the Itachi he is currently fighting disappears in a flock of crows. The ANBU officer spins around wildly, trying to locate his brother's chakra.

That is when a bright flashes in the corner of his eye catches his attention.

With a loud _bang _the Itachi fighting Sakura explodes. The blast causes Sasuke's footing to slip, but he is more concerned about the pink-haired form that had gotten thrown across the gorge.

"Sakura!" He calls out to her, but she remains limp on the ground. Taking advantage of the smoke, Sasuke creates a clone and disguises himself behind some large boulders while masking his chakra. Eyes scanning the surrounding area, the dark-haired Konoha nin locates Itachi, who is standing above Sakura with a proud smirk on his face.

His clone charges at the man, but Itachi creates a fireball making the other Sasuke disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Come out Sasuke!" Itachi calls, "Here's your love, the murderer of the family, lying helpless and hurt."

At his words, the younger Uchiha's blood begins to boil. "She's not the murderer!" He shouts while emerging from behind the rocks. "It's you!" He summons energy to his palm with the name of his jutsu, "Chidori!"

With the sound of a thousand tiny birds chirping ringing through his ears and the taste of blood tainting his mouth, Sasuke charges with all his might, adrenaline and rage fueling him. The closer he gets to Itachi, the angrier he becomes. Finally, as if in slow motion, his electrically charged hand plunges into his chest and through his heart. Retracting his hand, Sasuke smirks at his brother's wide-eyed look.

"Who's the weak one now." He says as Itachi's knees hit the ground.

Turning from the corpse, Sasuke kneels down next to Sakura, cradling her soft head in his arms.

"Still you." The ANBU's eyes widen at the words and Sakura disappears into a flock of crows.

"Genjutsu!" Sasuke cries out when he awakens and finds himself trapped in an arm-bar by Itachi.

"My foolish little brother, did you really think it would be that easy?" Itachi asks as he plunges a kunai through Sasuke's thigh.

Escaping the other man's grasp, Sasuke darts away. "Firestyle: Fireball Jutsu!" He shouts blowing a large ball of fire from his mouth.

"Amaterasu!" Itachi yells as a wave of black flames meet Sasuke's jutsu head-on.

_What type of jutsu is the? _Sasuke thinks as he watches his fireball get consumed by his brother's sinister flames. He has no choice but to jump away from the attack, but his leg gives out and causes Sasuke to crash to the rocky ground.

"You're not even worth killing, Sasuke." Itachi says as he places a sandaled foot on the side of Sasuke's face. "Live with the shame, the fact that you will never be strong enough to avenge our dead clan." With these biting words spoken, the pressure leaves Sasuke's face.

Balancing on his good leg, onyx eyes scan the area only to find no traces of his elder brother, not even a lingering sense of chakra. In embarrassment, Sasuke punches a nearby boulder, causing it to crack. "Damn it!"

He hobbles over to Sakura and begins to examine her. The clone must have gotten in some good shots because she bleeds from a multitude of places. Burns are apparent on visible skin and her breathing is swallow.

_This is all my fault, _Sasuke thinks as he cradles her in his lap. _I shouldn't have let her come. He was too strong. _

"Damn it!" He curses again at the realization. All his endless hours of training, all of his hard work had been for nothing. Itachi took them out and barely broke a sweat doing it.

As Sakura's breathing slows, Sasuke begins to panic. "Shit! Sakura, stay with me!"

He senses more chakra signatures arriving at the valley, but does not bother to look up. "Sakura, don't you dare die on me. We're in this together just like you said." If she dies he will never forgive himself. If she dies, so does the rest of his humanity.

His vision begins to blur and his own breathing begins to come out in pants.

"Sasuke, let me take her."

_Kakashi? _Sasuke thinks before slipping out of consciousness.

Coming back to reality, he finds the will to open his tired eyes.

"Teme, you're awake. Finally!" A familiar, loud voice says.

"Sasuke, thank Kami." A feminine voice adds, "You've been out for a day and had us all worried."

"Ino?" Sasuke asks.

"Yeah, Sasuke. It's me." As his vision comes back to focus, Sasuke makes out the baby blue eyes and long blonde hair of his teammate from his genin days.

"Where's Sakura?" He asks, bolting up into a sitting position.

"She's right here." Turning to the side, Sasuke spots the still unconscious form of Sakura in the hospital bed next to his. "What happened to her hair?" He asks, noticing her once cascading pink locks have been cropped off to her chin.

"It had been burnt in places to I helped even it out." Ino says, casting a sad glance at the other bed. "She hasn't woken up since she was brought here, but Tsunade said-"

"Ino, Naruto," the intimidating Hokage enters the room emitting an aura so angry that it could kill the fainthearted. "Leave."

As if the room caught fire, the two blondes quickly bow in respect before rushing out the door.

"What the actual fuck were you thinking?" Tsunade yells at the man in the bed. "I deliberately told you to stay away from Itachi. Not only did you go after him, but also you dragged Sakura along. What type of sensei puts his student in danger like that?"

Sasuke recoils at her words. The Hokage opens her mouth to speak again, but stops when a timid voice from the other hospital bed speaks up. "L-lady Tsunade."

"Sakura!" The Hokage exclaims in relief as she rushes over to her apprentice's side. "You're finally up. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but please don't place all the blame on Sasuke." She shakily pulls herself upright. "He told me to stay, but I insisted."

"Sakura, I'm very disappointed in both of you," the Hokage lectures, shooting a glance at the Uchiha, "but the fact is that Sasuke is your superior and he shouldn't have gone in the first place. Instead of being able to pursue the Akatsuki members as their original mission had been, the team I sent was forced to bring you two back."

A heavy silence falls over the room. "You both are suspended from missions until further notice. You have a weeklong recovery period then Sakura, you'll be on hospital duty and Sasuke, you'll be doing various odd jobs around the village."

Both shinobi remain quiet, realizing the gravity of the situation. "I will give you one last check-up tomorrow before I clear you for release." With the final stern words uttered, the Hokage exits the room.

* * *

Since being released from the hospital, Sasuke had been acting strangely, something that is not lost on his roommate. He acts cold, often remaining silent whenever Sakura tries asking him something.

As the tension constantly builds up, Sakura feels a gap growing between her and the man that saved her life.

"Please speak to me." She says one night as they lie in bed together.

"What do you want me to say?" Sasuke replies, voice containing the same distant tone he'd been using since the day they woke up in the hospital.

"Anything… just let me know that you're still with me." She curls into him, leaning her head on his bare chest. Cool tears roll down her cheeks and land on his warm skin. She lies like that for a little while worried at how Sasuke will take it. Relief washes over her at the feel of strong arms wrapping around her.

"Of course I'm still here," he whispers.

"No you're not." Sakura states, pulling up so that her green eyes can look into his dark ones. "You're planning something." The flash of expression that breaks the cold mask he had been wearing, confirms the kunoichi's suspicions.

"Sasuke, tell me," she urges. "I'm sick of the distance that's grown between us."

Instead of responding, Sasuke lifts his head up and crashes his mouth to Sakura's.

"Mph!" She exclaims, her eyes wide at the contact. Sasuke flips them over so that the pink-haired girl is pinned beneath him. Linking his fingers with hers, he lifts her arms so that they lie above her head.

Passionately, Sasuke moves his mouth over hers, urging her to yield to him. Slowly, she gives in, moving her own lips with his.

As he begins sucking on her bottom lip, she wraps her legs firmly around his hips. The movement causes their bodies to press closer together. Sakura gasps at the feeling, his firm body up against hers in such a way that she molds into him. Taking advantage of her open mouth, Sasuke slips his tongue inside.

He takes pleasure in the way her breath hitches when he teases her top lip with his tongue. Having enough of that, Sakura begins fighting him for dominance, pressing against him as she memorizes his taste. Freeing her hands from his grasp, she runs them over his strong shoulders before hooking her arms under his so that all four of her limbs cling to him in need.

Slowly, Sasuke moves from her mouth and caresses her jaw with his lips. When his hot breath hits her neck, Sakura lifts her head to give him better access to her pulse.

He begins tracing the silvery lines of her intricate scar with his tongue, before coming to a rest in the soft spot between her right collarbone and neck. He begins sucking on the flesh, eliciting delightful groans from Sakura who clings to him tighter before rocking her hips against his. The contact causes a delicious shiver to go through her, the reaction exciting Sasuke.

Growing bolder, he grazes his teeth over the skin before nipping it lightly. Sakura cannot hold in the moan that escapes her at the pain-pleasure feeling. "Sas-Sasuke," she pants, trying to clear her head.

He responds by grinding into her hips while lifting the oversized Uchiha shirt over her head. Since she had been ready to go to sleep, Sakura skipped the bra and only wears a plain black bandeau underneath. Now, only in that and her black panties, the pinkette begins to blush and cover herself.

Growling at her limbs leaving his body to obstruct his vision of her, Sasuke pins her arms back over her head and looks her in the eyes. Sakura is shocked by what she sees in his onyx depths: love, want, and regret.

_Regret?_

"Sasuke," her voice is no more than a breath as he lowers his head. He kisses her again, this time full of need and longing. He twists his tongue against hers while his hands travel down her arms to her shoulders, across her soft sides, until resting firmly on her hips. His mouth soon follows, his tongue trailing over her jawbone and down her neck.

Instead of removing the black wrap that keeps her breasts from him, Sasuke turns his head and rests his cheek over her chest, hands still securely holding her against him. His eyelids droop shut, as he remains pressed flush to her.

The room is filled with the sound of their heavy breathing as well as one other thing.

_Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. _

A sincere smile pastes itself on Sasuke's face, something Sakura had not seen since the last fight with Itachi.

"Do you hear that?" his voice sounds distant but not in the cold and distracted way it has been sounding the past few days, instead it sounds as if he is lost in a dream, his smile audible. "Our hearts are beating in sync."

"Sasuke?" Sakura asks, slightly confused by his mood change. They have never been so _close _before.

Hesitantly lifting his head away from her heartbeat, Sasuke rolls onto his side still holding Sakura. With both of their heads on the same pillow, he looks into her eyes.

"I love you, Sakura."

This time she is the one to instigate the kiss, all other thoughts out the window. She rolls them so that her knees are straddling Sasuke's thighs, avoiding his recovering injury, and her chest is pressed up against him.

At this new angle, Sakura finds it easier to gain the advantage. With a playful nip at his bottom lip, she runs her small hands over his chiseled chest. When her fingers link behind his neck, Sasuke flips them again so that he is on top. With a playful pout, Sakura succumbs to his desires.

By the light of the moon, the two become one in a flurry of passion and suppressed physical attraction. They finally are the lovers that everybody had been labeling them as.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cries out in ecstasy as Sasuke moves within her. With one last hard thrust his joins her in a trip over the edge.

Rolling so that they're lying on their sides again, Sasuke plants butterfly kisses on her forehead and temples.

"I love you." He murmurs once again, his arms tightening around her.

With a content sigh, Sakura begins to drift off to sleep. _I'm not ready to say it aloud yet, but I love you too, Sasuke. _

* * *

**A/N: **_Honestly, that citrusy bit came out of nowhere. I hadn't planned for it to happen at all, but it did. Some people may have wanted it more detailed, but I'm sorry, not in this story. _

_Anywho, reviews are welcomed with open arms! Join the group hug!_


	22. Allusion to an Alternate Existence

**A/N: **_Last one, enjoy :)_

* * *

**Unhinged**

Allusion to an Alternate Existence

Sunlight streaming through the open window wakes Sakura up. Groaning in protest she rolls away from the harsh light in search of Sasuke's warmth. When she cannot locate him, she moves her arm along the bed. His form no longer occupies the other side of the bed, but the sheets are still warm.

Feeling slightly saddened by the fact that he hadn't waited for her to wake up, Sakura rolls onto her back and stretches. As her spine makes little popping noises, she thinks about all that had happened the night before.

It had been so random and unexpected, but Sasuke had been so loving and gentle with her. Thinking back to it, Sakura feels her stomach flutter. It had not simply been desire and lust; it was an act of love. Curling her toes at the thought, she finally opens her eyes, a bright smile lighting up her face.

Glancing around, she takes in the disheveled appearance of the room. The sheet tangles around her legs and the pillows, not including the one she's using, lay on the floor next to a few articles of clothing. She finds the digital clock on the bedside table and is shocked to see how late in the afternoon it is.

Standing up from the bed, she slips on the discarded Uchiha shirt and a fresh pair of panties. She hears the sound of running water in the bathroom and figures that Sasuke is in the shower. Half tempted to hop in there with him, she makes her way to the hallway, but her growling stomach sends her to the kitchen instead.

Despite it being nearly three in the afternoon, breakfast food sounds good, so she searches for a pan and begins to fry up some eggs. They are almost ready when she hears the water finally turn off.

By the time she is scooping them onto a plate, Sasuke walks into the kitchen, fully dressed, and wraps his arms around her from behind.

"I have to go meet with the Hokage," He says and begins to lightly kiss her neck.

"What for?" She asks, setting down the cooking utensils and turning around in his arms.

"She wants to talk with me about the job I start tomorrow."

Groaning, Sakura buries her nose in his shirt. "That's right, I have to start hospital duty tomorrow."

Before she can dwell on the fact, her lover moves his hand down to cup her butt and lifts her up, forcing her to lock her legs around his waist. Spinning around, he finds a clean space of the countertop to set her on. Instantly he begins kissing her in raw need and desperation.

His hands run all over her body as if to memorize it, while his lips furiously knead against hers. Breathing heavily, Sasuke moves down to her neck and begins planting little love bites on it.

Practically purring in satisfaction, Sakura threads her fingers through his soft spikes. _I'll tell you tonight, I promise. I'll finally say it. _

Once she begins moaning, Sasuke pulls away and leans his forehead against hers. Looking at his face for the first time that morning. Sakura notices the same emotionless mask from before has returned. Slowly, she leans back, concern evident in her green eyes.

"Sasuke?" She asks, unable to read him.

"I have to go," he responds before pushing off the counter and walking out the door, leaving a very confused Sakura still sitting on the granite.

* * *

He steps lightly on the stone path, his path illuminated by the moonlight and a few lightning bugs that have appeared in the warmth of summer. Stepping slightly off of the path, he searches for the black pack he had stashed early in the week.

After shouldering it, he continues on his way down the empty street. He has almost reached his goal when a figure steps in front of him, blocking his path.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"This is the only path that leads outside of the village." The voice responds.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Sasuke repeats, disguising the pain he feels at the look on her face.

"I knew you were planning something." She responds, eyes burning with the fire of determination. "You acted strangely this morning and…" She takes a deep breath, "and last night. Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?" Her voice wavers as tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"Last night was my goodbye to you." He says quietly before adding, "Go home, Sakura." Adverting his dark eyes from her tear-stricken face, he walks past her.

"No," she says while grabbing a hold of his arm. "I'm not letting you go after Itachi alone."

Sasuke turns his head. "I'm not going to Itachi."

"Then where?" She asks, nose scrunched up in confusion. Her face quickly changes to shock at the realization. "You're going to Orochimaru aren't you?"

"He's powerful and can make me stronger. This is my only chance," He thinks of his meeting with Tsunade early that day, how she stripped him of ANBU status and confined him to the village for the next year.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sakura yells. "You saw what that mark did to me!"

"I did, that's why I'm going. Part of the reason you've advanced through the ranks so quickly was because of his training." Sasuke responds, his voice expressionless.

"He's manipulative and cruel, you won't come out unscathed." Sakura tells him, shuddering at the memories of her abusive past.

"I don't care, as long as I have the power to avenge my clan and kill Itachi." He shrugs out of her grasp and continues walking away.

"Don't leave me!" She calls out, her voice filled with pain. "At least… at least take me with you."

Without even hesitating, he responds. "No, I'm not letting you near that man again."

"Sasuke, I love you." She cries. "I love you with all my heart," she adds more calmly. The words that he had been waiting to hear all this time affect Sasuke more than he thought possible, he pauses and flash-steps so that he stand behind the pink-haired woman.

His breath brushes the back of her neck, causing goose bumps to rise on her flesh.

"Sakura, thank you." He whispers, _thank you for being there, thank you for helping me, thank you for loving me…_

His hands move up her arms to her neck, which bares evidence of last night and this morning, and presses a pressure point.

Sakura falls backwards, limp in his arms._ Please forgive me. This is for both of us. _

Gently he sets her down on a nearby stone bench. Wiping the tears away from her eyes with a thumb, he kisses her one last time. "I love you too, with all my being, but I have to do this."

In fear of changing his mind, Sasuke does not dare look back at her grief-stricken face. He leaves his heart on the bench and surrenders his mind to hatred.

_Itachi, I will find you and I will kill you. _

* * *

**A/N**: _I'm sad and relieved to say that this is the last chapter of _Unhinged. _Five long months later and my first continuous story is at an end. Thanks so much to everybody who's taken time to read and support this. This has definitely been a learning experience and I'm so glad that I've had the opportunity to meet a bunch of different people through this. I love all of you guys. ;) _


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